The next morning, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong followed the Jiu Nian Tribe members into the mountains.
Perhaps because their chief was a sub-beastman, the Jiu Nian Tribe’s members seemed closer-knit and more cheerful compared to other tribes.
While many were wary of Wu Jiong, they were much friendlier with Jian Mo, chattering around him about gossip from other tribes or asking health-related questions.
Jian Mo answered all their questions patiently.
The group soon stopped at the base of a large tree.
Xin Jun turned to Jian Mo and Wu Jiong and introduced it. “This is the tree that produces the fibers we use to make fabric. All our clothes depend on it.”
Jian Mo looked up at the tree.
Its bark was smooth, and its leaves resembled those of palm trees. Each large, oval-shaped leaf was composed of numerous long, slender strips, fanning out like a giant woven mat.
The tree’s trunk and leaves were both green.
Despite observing for a while, Jian Mo couldn’t figure out where the so-called “fiber” was located.
The Jiu Nian Tribe members set down their baskets, tucked metal knives into their belts, and began climbing the tree with nimble jumps. In no time, they reached the treetops.
From above, they chopped off the leaves, letting them fall to the ground.
Jian Mo and Wu Jiong waited at a safe distance until the leaves stopped falling. Then, after the climbers slid back down the tree, they stepped forward to collect the leaves.
Upon closer inspection, Jian Mo noticed that each long leaf had a hard, tendon-like structure along its edges. With a gentle tug, this “tendon” could be stripped away, turning into strands of fiber.
Jian Mo asked Xin Jun, “Is this the material used to make the fabric?”
Xin Jun nodded. “That’s right. But it needs to be processed first.”
To demonstrate, Xin Jun picked up a leaf and, with a quick motion, sliced off the green edges. With two sharp pulls, he stripped away the tendons on either side of the leaf.
His movements were swift and efficient, and soon he had gathered a small bundle of light green fibers in his hand.
Jian Mo observed that the extracted fibers varied in length and thickness, likely unsuitable for immediate weaving.
He had initially hoped this method could skip the spinning step, but that clearly wasn’t the case.
Because it would be cumbersome to carry back large piles of leaves, the group processed them on-site, stripping the fibers from the leaves and leaving the rest behind in neat piles at the base of the tree.
Jian Mo looked up and saw that the tree’s canopy was still lush with leaves.
The Jiu Nian Tribe members had left some leaves intact, ensuring the tree could continue to grow.
He now understood why the tree trunk was so smooth—it must have been regularly harvested from a young age, preventing leaves from growing lower on the trunk.
Xin Jun called out, “Let’s move ahead. There are more fiber trees further along.”
Jian Mo remarked, “Making fabric seems like such a laborious process.”
Xin Jun laughed. “What isn’t laborious? Hunting is hard, gathering is hard, and weaving is no different. Isn’t it the same with your beast-hair fabrics? Don’t you have even more steps in your process?”
Jian Mo nodded. “True. Everyone works hard.”
Xin Jun smiled. “At least we can chat and keep busy with our hands. It’s not so bad.”
The group continued deeper into the mountains.
Though Jian Mo didn’t find anything particularly exciting, he did come across a few new wild fruits and spices. However, their flavors were mediocre and not worth bringing back to the He’an Tribe.
After a day of labor, they returned to the Jiu Nian Tribe in the afternoon.
Back at the tribe, the members built fires and boiled water in large clay pots. They then tossed the fibers into the boiling water.
The entire village was soon shrouded in steam, filled with the unique aroma of boiling plant matter.
Jian Mo understood the reasoning—plant materials needed thorough processing to remove organic substances prone to rotting. Otherwise, the resulting fabric would be unusable.
What surprised him, however, was what came next.
After the fibers were boiled, the Jiu Nian Tribe members brought out peculiar wooden frames.
These frames resembled floor lamps but with a lotus-bud-sized piece of wood at the top.
Jian Mo watched closely as the frames were positioned in front of the workers. Using their claws, the workers grabbed the boiled fibers and threaded them through the frame, pulling the fibers through the wooden opening.
As they pulled, the sub-beastmen’s sharp claws deftly maneuvered the fibers, stripping and smoothing them with remarkable efficiency.
Jian Mo asked, “Is this to remove the leaf flesh from the fibers?”
Xin Jun beckoned him closer. “Not at all. If we were just removing the leaf flesh, we’d boil it longer and then pound and rinse it repeatedly. This method would be too complicated for that.”
Xin Jun continued, “This process is to make the fibers uniform in thickness. See the metal blades around the opening? When we pull the fibers through, the blades shave off any excess, leaving the strands smooth and even.”
Jian Mo crouched down to inspect the frame closely and saw the fine metal blades embedded in the wood. He couldn’t help but marvel, “How did you come up with this?”
It was impressive that the Jiu Nian Tribe had developed such quality-control measures—an advanced concept for the time.
Xin Jun explained, “Before we had this tool, we used raw fibers to weave fabric, but the results were lumpy and uncomfortable to wear. So we invented this tool to improve the process.”
Jian Mo grinned. “That’s incredible. And you’re just sharing this with me?”
He couldn’t help but be impressed by the ingenuity of every tribe.
Xin Jun chuckled. “It’s no secret. Even if you know our methods, you’d probably still find it too troublesome to harvest leaves for fabric. In the end, you’d come back to trade with us anyway.”
Jian Mo laughed. “True enough. You’re all so skilled that you make it look easy. If I tried, I probably wouldn’t be able to thread even one strand after half a day.”
Xin Jun teased, “It wouldn’t be that bad. With claws, it’s much faster.”
Though Xin Jun’s comment was offhand, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong exchanged a glance.
Jian Mo held up his hand in front of Wu Jiong, and his fingers transformed into claws with sharp tips.
His claws, however, were more delicate and decorative than practical. Unlike most sub-beastmen, whose claws were robust and gleaming, Jian Mo’s claws were slim and fine, almost ornamental.
Wu Jiong reached out and gently held his hand.
Xin Jun noticed and complimented, “Your claws are beautiful.”
Jian Mo smiled. “Not as useful as yours, though.”
Xin Jun smiled. “It’s really not hard—I’ll teach you.”
He quickly showed Jian Mo how to thread and pull the fibers. The stiff texture of the plant fibers made them easy to manipulate once the right angle was found.
After a few tries, Jian Mo successfully pulled the fibers through each time, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
When enough fibers were gathered, the Jiu Nian Tribe members bundled them together and brought out spindles and simple weaving frames to start weaving fabric.
Some tribe members began preparing dinner.
After observing the weaving process and getting a basic grasp of the technique, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong joined the cooking efforts.
Cooking, unlike weaving, was an area where Jian Mo excelled.
The day’s gathering had yielded some ingredients, and after the Jiu Nian Tribe finished their meal, Jian Mo borrowed their stove to prepare food for Chirpy and Ying Ao.
The tribe didn’t object but remarked, “You’re really meticulous about feeding your winged beasts!”
Jian Mo chuckled. “They work hard carrying us to visit different tribes. If we don’t take good care of them, they might refuse to cooperate.”
The tribe members agreed. “True enough. Your winged beasts are impressive. We thought about raising some ourselves, but they eat so much, and keeping them is a hassle. Since we don’t travel much, we gave up on the idea.”
Jian Mo didn’t prepare anything elaborate, just a pot of stewed meat in a jar for Chirpy and Ying Ao.
When Jian Mo brought the food over, Chirpy chirped excitedly and hopped around.
Ying Ao, in contrast, remained calm and even yawned widely.
Jian Mo fed Chirpy a few bites, and then gave Ying Ao some as well.
Ying Ao had become less picky about eating the tribe’s prepared food, though it still refused anything unappetizing.
As Jian Mo fed them, Wu Jiong used his fingers to groom their fur and feathers.
The winged beasts must have ventured somewhere earlier in the day, as their bodies were covered in leaves and bits of grass.
After grooming for a while, Wu Jiong gathered the debris in his palm and suddenly said, “Chirpy and Ying Ao might have gone to the Bai Zhi Tribe today.”
Jian Mo leaned over curiously. “What makes you say that?”
Wu Jiong opened his hand to show Jian Mo. “This sticky grass only grows on snow-capped mountains, near the lower slopes. The Jiu Nian Tribe doesn’t have snow-capped mountains nearby.”
Jian Mo examined the leaves closely. “You’re right. Their terrain is much lower—no snow-capped mountains here.”
Wu Jiong nodded. “They could have flown elsewhere, but among the nearby tribes, they’re most familiar with the Bai Zhi Tribe.”
Oblivious to Wu Jiong’s deductions, Chirpy continued wrestling with a particularly tough piece of meat. Its teeth weren’t very sharp, and it alternated between chewing on the left and right sides, taking ages to break it down.
Jian Mo patted Chirpy’s wing and teased, “Look at you, making friends and visiting them during your free time now.”
Chirpy responded to everything with cheerful chirps, whether it understood or not.
When Jian Mo spoke to it, Chirpy looked up, chirping happily, “Chirp, chirp!”
Jian Mo smiled. “If you flew there and back in a single day, the Bai Zhi Tribe must not be far from here.”
“Chirp!”
Jian Mo turned to Wu Jiong. “Why don’t we visit the Bai Zhi Tribe tomorrow? Last time, they helped transport the pearl rice and honeyfinch nests for us, but we didn’t properly thank them.”
Wu Jiong nodded. “Let’s tell Xin Jun later.”
Xin Jun had no objections to their plan. When he learned of their visit, he even made a request. “If you’re heading to the Bai Zhi Tribe, could you help us trade for some white milkfruit?”
Jian Mo asked, “What’s that?”
Xin Jun explained, “It’s a fruit unique to their tribe. When crushed into a juice and applied to fabric, the treated areas resist dye. We use it to create patterns on cloth.”
Understanding dawned on Jian Mo. “So, you draw designs with the fruit juice on the fabric, and after dyeing, the patterns remain in the fabric’s original color?”
Xin Jun nodded. “For symmetrical patterns, we tie the fabric tightly and dye it in one go. For asymmetrical patterns, we paint them first with the juice to protect those areas before dyeing. The Bai Zhi Tribe knows we use white milkfruit for this purpose, so just mention it to them, and they’ll understand.”
It was a simple task, and Jian Mo agreed immediately. “No problem—we’ll bring it up when we visit tomorrow.”
Xin Jun brought out two rolls of fabric. “These two rolls should be enough to trade for the milkfruit. Thank you so much—it’s a hassle for us to travel that far without winged beasts.”
Jian Mo smiled. “It’s no trouble at all.”
Xin Jun added, “When you return in the evening, our fabric should be almost ready. If you have specific patterns in mind, we can discuss them then.”
Jian Mo was delighted. “Perfect! I’ve been wanting some unique patterns. How many colors can you dye so far?”
“Right now, we have six dyes—red, yellow, orange, blue, black, and brown,” Xin Jun replied. “We have some pre-dyed fabric swatches. I’ll fetch them for you. Some colors might look odd for clothing but work beautifully for accessories like headbands and bracelets.”
Xin Jun returned with fabric swatches and an array of accessories, including headbands, earrings, and cloth bracelets.
The intricate craftsmanship of the pieces and the artistic color combinations were stunning.
One pair of fabric earrings, in particular, caught Jian Mo’s attention—a striking combination of blue and orange.
When worn by a sub-beastman, the orange highlights seemed to illuminate their entire presence, radiating vibrant energy.
This vitality, full of life and creativity, was something Jian Mo couldn’t have learned from any textbook, despite his years of study.
Seeing Jian Mo’s fascination, the Jiu Nian Tribe members were equally delighted.
Eventually, they asked Jian Mo for help piercing their ears. They’d heard he was skilled, with piercings that were symmetrical, healed quickly, and were almost painless.
Unable to refuse, Jian Mo retrieved his medical kit and spent the better part of the evening piercing ears, earning several rolls of fabric in return.
By the time his hands were sore, and he was cleaning up to rest, a sub-beastman ran over.
“Doctor Jian Mo, didn’t you say you liked those soft, white fruit pods? I have some at home—could these be what you’re looking for?”
The Jiu Nian Tribe’s fabric was a bit coarse, resembling burlap.
Earlier, during a casual chat, Jian Mo had described cotton pods while talking about cotton fabric, hoping to find something similar in the area.
He hadn’t expected the sub-beastman to actually bring some over!
