Transmigrated to the Beastman World as a Veterinarian – CH29

Chapter 29: Harvesting Alkali

It was rare for Wu Jiong to hear Jian Mo sounding so excited. He instinctively thought something was wrong and quickly shifted into his beast form, dashing over.

As the giant wolf ran uphill and Jian Mo hurried downhill, they met midway.

Unable to stop in time, Jian Mo collided directly with the wolf, managing to steady himself only by grabbing onto its foreleg.

The giant wolf lowered its head to look at him.

Jian Mo didn’t have the time to interpret the wolf’s expression. Tilting his head back, he said eagerly, “Do you know about alkali? In the winter, it might be possible to harvest alkali from a salt lake!”

The giant wolf shook its head, its thick ears twitching slightly. “Tell me.”

Jian Mo’s attention was momentarily caught by the twitching ears before he forced himself to focus. “When we make soap, we soak ashes in water to extract alkali.”

The giant wolf responded, “I remember. You mentioned this before.”

“Yes! But the alkali in wood ash is low in concentration and not very pure. Extracting it is tedious. The alkali from salt lakes is different—it’s much purer. If we use it to make soap, it’ll clean better.”

Jian Mo’s excitement grew, and his words tumbled out quickly. “Alkali is really useful! The most important thing is that it can only be collected in winter. If we miss the season, it’ll be much harder to get.”

Recalling a bit of useful knowledge, Jian Mo was determined to put it to good use.

He looked up at Wu Jiong with a hopeful expression.

The giant wolf considered for a moment and then said, “Let’s make a trip. We’re out of salt anyway. We can gather some while we’re there.”

Jian Mo asked, “You’re planning to harvest salt from the lake?”

Salt could also be gathered in the winter from the salt lake, making it a convenient side task.

Wu Jiong shook his head. “We usually collect it from the salt mountain. The salt there tastes better.”

Hearing this, Jian Mo suddenly connected it to the alkali in the salt lake.

If there was alkali in the lake, the salt and alkali would likely mix together, and the alkali’s bitterness would taint the salt’s flavor.

While people in this world might not understand the chemical principles behind it, they have plenty of practical experience.

Jian Mo sighed inwardly and reminded himself not to underestimate others.

Thoughts of various alkali compounds made Jian Mo’s heart race with excitement.

Wu Jiong, less familiar with such matters, treated it like an ordinary gathering trip. After informing Jian Mo, he went to discuss plans with the others.

Jian Mo stayed behind, watching the giant wolf’s silhouette gradually disappear. His excitement calmed somewhat.

Although he knew about alkali, he wasn’t very familiar with its applications. He realized he would need to experiment and figure things out—a likely challenging process.

Since it had been a while since the tribe gathered as a group, the turnout this time was particularly large.

Beastmen and sub-beastmen didn’t split into separate teams but instead moved as a single group.

The beastmen shifted into their beast forms and lay down while the sub-beastmen climbed onto their backs.

The line of giant beasts was strikingly conspicuous against the snowy landscape.

Qingkuo turned to count the group and check their readiness. Once satisfied, he patted the back of the giant wolf beneath him. “Diya, let’s go!”

The white wolf let out a low growl from deep in its throat, “Awooo—” before bounding forward.

Diya, carrying Qingkuo, led the way, while Wu Jiong, with Jian Mo on his back, brought up the rear.

Wu Jiong’s wolf form was the largest among the beasts. Sitting high on his back, Jian Mo had a clear view of everyone ahead.

He soon noticed something interesting. Whether they were feline or canine beastmen, they all followed the pawprints of those in front while running.

Moreover, their hind paws landed exactly in the prints left by their front paws.

After they passed, the pristine snowfield was left with only two parallel tracks.

Anyone inexperienced seeing this would never guess that a group of beastmen carrying sub-beastmen had passed through.

During a break, Jian Mo leaned against Wu Jiong’s side and whispered his observation. “Why is everyone following one set of tracks?”

Wu Jiong also lowered his voice to reply. “The snow is too deep, and it’s hard to see what’s beneath. Running randomly in open terrain risks twisting an ankle or stepping on something sharp.”

When Wu Jiong spoke in his beast form, his voice became deeper, likely altered as it passed through his wolfish muzzle.

Jian Mo couldn’t help but find the giant wolf’s earnest demeanor particularly endearing.

Back on Earth, Jian Mo had never encountered giant wolves, though he had seen plenty of big dogs. Those dogs had always been playful and mischievous, nothing like Wu Jiong’s dignified style.

Thinking of this, Jian Mo’s hands began to itch.

Despite trying to resist, he eventually gave in and grabbed one of the wolf’s forepaws, fiddling with it. “Ah, so that’s how it works.”

Wu Jiong nodded his massive head.

While Wu Jiong remained composed, many other beastmen in the tribe were panting.

They huffed and puffed, tongues lolling out, looking rather adorable.

Still, Wu Jiong stood out. Compared to the others, who exuded a strong animalistic vibe, Wu Jiong’s aura was distinctly cool and commanding.

Jian Mo’s stare was so blatant that it didn’t go unnoticed by the others.

“What’s wrong?” Wu Jiong asked, turning his head.

Realizing it might be rude to stare, Jian Mo felt a bit embarrassed. “Oh, nothing. Just looking.”

After a brief rest, the group set off again.

As they sprinted across the snowy plains, the noise caused distant animals to scatter. Even the birds circling above kept their distance.

Jian Mo watched as the distant mountains grew closer, the nearby forest falling behind them, his face alight with amazement.

The saying “a horse will die chasing the horizon” clearly didn’t apply to beastmen. They moved so fast that traversing mountains and valleys seemed effortless.

After a while, the dazzling whiteness of the snow began to strain Jian Mo’s eyes.

He lay down, wrapping his arms around the giant wolf’s neck and pressing himself against its back to rest.

If he kept looking, he worried he might develop snow blindness.

Without a mirror, Jian Mo didn’t realize that his pupils had begun to contract slightly as he looked at the snow—though not as prominently as the beastmen or sub-beastmen.

Nor did he notice that when he listened closely to distant sounds, his ears subtly twitched.

The main goal of the trip was to collect salt.

The group skillfully headed to the salt mountain first. Digging through the surface snow, they uncovered reddish-brown rock salt below.

The rock salt grains were smaller than stones and slightly sticky when rubbed, making them easy to identify.

Experienced hands scooped the top layer of rock salt into baskets lined with cloth.

As Jian Mo observed the salt covering the entire mountain, he understood why they didn’t bother extracting salt from the lake.

Not only was gathering salt from the mountain easier, but it also tasted better, free from off-flavors.

Though the rock salt contained some impurities, the salt from the lake likely had just as many, if not more.

The salt mountain was close to the lake, marking the edge of the He’an Tribe’s territory.

Jian Mo asked curiously, “Does only our tribe come here to collect salt? Or do others come too?”

Wu Jiong replied, “Others come. This mountain is unclaimed land.”

Jian Mo was stunned. “Unclaimed?! Such a good salt mountain is ownerless?”

Nearby, Ban Ming and a few beastmen were idly packing salt. Hearing this, Ban Ming leaned over. “It wasn’t always unclaimed.”

Jian Mo perked up, sensing a story. “What happened?”

Ban Ming explained, “This mountain is located between our He’an Tribe, the Dianxin Tribe, and the Mengshui Tribe. There aren’t clear borders here, so everyone came to collect salt. Then, everyone thought the other tribes were taking their salt, and some big fights broke out.”

Jian Mo asked, “Did our tribe win?”

Ban Ming shook his head. “No. We tied with the Mengshui Tribe, but the Dianxin Tribe lost. They were unwilling to accept it and kept trying to fight us. The battles went on for so long that too many people were injured and couldn’t go hunting or gathering anymore.”

Jian Mo was engrossed. “What happened next?”

Wu Jiong chimed in, “Eventually, during the hunting conference, the tribes agreed that each would give up a small part of their territory. The salt mountain and the nearby lake became unclaimed land, open for everyone to collect salt.”

Ban Ming added, “Exactly! And because we set that precedent, later on, when mediating disputes with the Zhengchi and Mengshui Tribes, we got them to give up contested land as well.”

Jian Mo’s eyes lit up. “Is that how we got the unclaimed land for harvesting mien fruits?”

Ban Ming clicked his tongue. “Bingo!”

Salt lay scattered all over the ground, making collection quick and easy.

By the time their conversation ended, they had finished gathering all the salt they needed.

Qingkuo approached. “Shall we head to the salt lake now?”

Jian Mo nodded. “Let’s see if we can gather alkali.”

No one objected. The salt lake was nearby, and the detour wouldn’t take much time.

After packing up, they set out again, quickly reaching the edge of the salt lake.

The so-called lake looked more like a murky pond. The water was shallow, likely no higher than one’s thighs, with gravel lining the bottom.

Jian Mo reached into the water and felt around.

The water was tolerable—cold but not overly harsh. However, when he pulled his hand out, it felt sticky and itchy, an unpleasant sensation.

Standing in the wind, Jian Mo shook his hand dry and then licked the back of it.

A salty taste spread across his tongue—just ordinary salt with no strange aftertaste.

Everyone watched him, awaiting instructions.

He felt around the lakebed again and eventually found small, yellowish-brown crystals.

“This should be alkali,” Jian Mo said.

Ban Ming and the younger beastmen bent down to feel around as well, pulling out similar yellowish-brown crystals. “How do you know it’s alkali and not something else?” they asked, holding the crystals up.

Jian Mo was momentarily stumped. His existing knowledge wasn’t enough to let him perform any experiments to confirm it.

Jian Mo suggested, “Want to taste it?”

Ban Ming, ever the daring one, immediately popped a crystal into his mouth. “Sure—ack, pfft pfft pfft!!”

Jian Mo sighed. “You were supposed to just lick it, not eat the whole thing.”

The others burst out laughing.

Ban Ming shot Jian Mo a resentful look. “It’s bitter! You could’ve warned me!”

Jian Mo, looking innocent, replied, “I didn’t think you’d act so fast. Bitter probably means it’s alkali.”

After a moment’s thought, he added, “Even if it’s not pure alkali, it should still have alkali content. Let’s gather it up and take it back to make soap. If it works, it means the alkali concentration is decent.”

Soap was a prized commodity, and the mention of it stirred excitement in the group.

Everyone eagerly reached into the lake to gather more. Soon, they had collected a significant amount of alkali crystals.

The cold was intense. Although the lake hadn’t frozen over, its water was frigid—colder than typical water. Even the beastmen and sub-beastmen couldn’t endure it for long. They hurriedly bundled up in fur robes or shifted back into their beast forms and began the trek back to the tribe.

The saltwater left their skin sticky and itchy, even after drying off.

Once they returned to the village, everyone grabbed some soap, declaring their intent to bathe.

Seeing the icy outdoors, Jian Mo felt a shiver just imagining it. “You’re all bathing in cold water?”

Qingkuo explained, “We’re used to it. We find a sheltered spot, splash the water over ourselves, scrub quickly, and we’re done. Then we warm up in the sun—it doesn’t take long.”

Jian Mo still felt cold at the thought. “It doesn’t take much time to heat water, though.”

Qingkuo replied, “But firewood is precious.”

Jian Mo blinked, momentarily stunned. Firewood had never been a concern for him since Wu Jiong always took care of chopping it, and their stockpile by the house was never empty.

Qingkuo smiled. “Plus, using hot water is slow and less refreshing. It’s faster to just brave the cold and finish in one go.”

He added kindly, “You’re different from us. Better to bathe at home so you don’t get sick.”

With that, Qingkuo, the ever-energetic sub-beastman, left Jian Mo standing there in a daze.

Jian Mo often bathed in a small shelter enclosed with beast hides and even convinced Wu Jiong to bathe at home, too. Wu Jiong had never said anything against it.

Before Jian Mo could finish sorting through his thoughts, Wu Jiong had already heated water and called for him to bathe.

Snapping out of his daze, Jian Mo rushed upstairs to grab clean clothes and headed to the back of the house to wash up.

The sticky saltwater clung unpleasantly to his skin, making him itchy. He took a bath towel and gave himself a thorough scrub.

After bathing, everyone gathered in the open space to bask in the sun, drying their hair and warming up.

The younger beastmen and sub-beastmen, unable to sit idle, brought out some beast fat and approached Jian Mo. “Brother Jian Mo, can we make soap now? How do you use alkali to make it?”

Jian Mo walked over. “It’s like making soap from ash water. Dissolve the alkali in water, heat it, and then pour it into heated beast fat.”

The group quickly gathered stones to build a makeshift fire pit, preparing tools to heat the oil and water.

Jian Mo supervised. “Don’t use too much alkali at once, or it might react violently when poured into the fat. Start with a little as a test.”

The younger ones crowded around, hanging on his every word.

When the water and oil were ready, Jian Mo donned beast-hide gloves and carefully poured the alkali solution into the fat.

The moment the alkali solution touched the fat, it emulsified—no explosions.

Jian Mo immediately began stirring.

Ban Ming took the stirring stick from him. “I’m stronger. Let me do it.”

Jian Mo didn’t argue. “All right, you handle it. I’ll supervise.”

As the beast fat continued to melt, Jian Mo heated more and added alkali solution, assigning the younger ones to take turns stirring.

Though the soap wasn’t finished yet, it was clear that the quality of this batch, made with alkali, was far superior to the previous ash-water soap.

Qingkuo tested a bit of the liquid soap by rubbing it on his hands. After washing, he exclaimed excitedly, “This alkali soap is way better than the ash-water soap.”

Jian Mo observed his hands and nodded. “The cleaning power is stronger.”

The group had grown used to Jian Mo’s peculiar comments but generally understood his meaning.

Qingkuo suggested, “Let’s make more. The last batch is almost gone.”

Jian Mo had no objections.

Nearby, Dejiang, a beastman with considerable influence in the tribe, asked, “Besides soap, is there anything else we can do with alkali?”

Dejiang, who had once competed with Wu Jiong for the position of tribe leader, still held a lot of sway in the community. His question drew attention.

Jian Mo gave it serious thought and replied, “We could experiment with pottery. The glaze on ceramics can produce different effects depending on the minerals used. Alkali-based glazes might yield something unique.”

Qingkuo nodded enthusiastically. “That’s a great idea. The ground may be frozen, but digging up some clay for pottery shouldn’t be too hard. Glazed ceramics are so popular lately. Even if we don’t use them ourselves, we can trade them with other tribes.”

Jian Mo agreed. Recently, he had bartered for fabric, making several sets of undergarments for himself and Wu Jiong, significantly improving their quality of life.

They’d also traded for excellent tubers, spices, and other goods.

If they made another batch of pottery, they could use some and trade the rest for even more valuable items. It would make the winter much easier.

Jian Mo said, “Let’s dig up some clay later. I’ll experiment with different glazes—some with old methods, some with new ones. That way, we won’t waste our efforts.”

Qingkuo grinned. “Sounds perfect.”

As Ban Ming stirred vigorously nearby, he remarked, “Brother Jian Mo, you always say you’re not a priest. But if you aren’t, how do you know so much?”

Jian Mo laughed. “I learned it. Where I come from, everyone has to learn all kinds of things.”

Qingkuo sighed wistfully. “Your place must be amazing.”