All the adult members of the He’an Tribe gathered in an open space to hold a meeting and decide whether to hunt on the Great Plains.
The cubs sat nearby to observe, learning how the tribe managed its affairs.
After Wu Jiong explained the situation, many supported the idea of hunting on the plains, while many others were against it.
Those in favor argued:
“With the beast migration happening, we can bring back a lot of food in one trip. Why not go?”
“If we hunt now, we can store plenty of meat and free up time for other tasks later.”
“Exactly! With enough food stored, we can relax during the upcoming full moon and summer festival instead of rushing.”
Those against it had equally strong reasons:
“A beast migration means plenty of food, but it’s also dangerous. Injuries could be a serious issue.”
“It’s already spring. We have enough food in the tribe, so there’s no need to go.”
“If we want to hunt, there are already plenty of animals near the tribe. There’s no reason to travel so far.”
Everyone voiced their opinions, and the debate grew heated, with no one able to convince the other side. The discussion grew louder and edged toward an argument.
Jian Mo observed quietly. Among the core members of the tribe, De Jiang was against going, while Qing Kuo expressed willingness to take the risk.
As for Wu Jiong, his expression gave nothing away, leaving even Jian Mo unsure of his stance.
Jian Mo himself supported going.
He had confidence in Wu Jiong’s abilities and was eager to witness the beast migration on the plains. However, with the intense argument going on, he didn’t think it was the right time to speak up.
Wu Jiong waited for everyone to finish before calling for a vote.
In the end, those in favor of hunting won by a narrow margin.
Wu Jiong instructed those willing to go to sign up, while those staying behind would guard the tribe.
He sent someone to inform the Meng Shui Tribe, and the two tribes agreed on a departure date.
Jian Mo, having never participated in an outside hunt before, felt a mix of excitement and nervousness—like preparing for a spring outing.
He asked Wu Jiong, “How do you usually hunt outside? Are there many injuries?”
Wu Jiong explained, “Not many. Sub-beastmen rarely get injured. Most injuries among beastmen occur during hunts when they’re charged or bitten by wild animals. But honestly, the risk is the same whether we hunt near the tribe or elsewhere. The only difference is that there are fewer wild animals near the tribe, so injuries happen less often.”
Jian Mo realized Wu Jiong was in favor of going. “So hunting outside isn’t particularly dangerous.”
Wu Jiong nodded.
Jian Mo decided, “I’ll bring an extra set of medicines and tools, just in case. I’ll also bring Chirpy. If things get too dangerous, Chirpy can carry some people into the air.”
“Good idea,” Wu Jiong agreed. “We’ll also prepare some food. Hunting trips often mean the food isn’t very appetizing.”
“I’ll make some mushroom sauce and onion paste,” Jian Mo offered, rolling up his sleeves. “They’ll be great for dipping the meat.”
Amid Jian Mo’s busy preparations, the hunting day finally arrived.
The He’an Tribe sent out eighty people, matched by eighty from the Meng Shui Tribe. All were young and strong, with two-thirds being beastmen.
They carried large quantities of salt and spice powders to process the game on the spot, turning it into jerky to reduce weight and ease transport.
Jian Mo brought two baskets filled with medicines and surgical tools, prepared for any emergencies.
The beastmen of both tribes shifted into their beast forms and lined up to run together, resembling a beast migration themselves.
Chirpy flapped its wings overhead, sometimes flying ahead, only to circle back, clearly having a great time.
Jian Mo rode on Wu Jiong’s giant wolf form, feeling both tense and exhilarated as the sound of thundering footsteps echoed around him.
As the beastmen ran, clouds of dust rose, blotting out the sky. The sight was grand and imposing.
Along the way, not a single wild animal dared approach. Even those who heard the rumbling from afar fled for their lives.
With unstoppable momentum, they charged directly toward the Great Plains.
When passing by the Yi Gu Tribe, the noise prompted some Yi Gu members to come and ask what was happening. Upon learning about the hunt, they said nothing, merely noting that the Yi Gu Tribe would also be heading to the plains soon.
Both tribes had set out early in the morning.
By midday, they reached the agreed-upon location on the Great Plains.
Sitting on Wu Jiong’s back, Jian Mo gazed at the vast grasslands dotted with scattered trees. It reminded him inexplicably of the African savannah.
The immense herds of animals gathering together made the resemblance even stronger.
He could clearly distinguish the massive herds of herbivores. Around their periphery were predators and scavengers, while carnivorous or scavenging birds circled in the sky.
This wasn’t just a beast migration—it was an entire food chain on the move.
The sight was breathtaking.
The Meng Shui Tribe leader at the front shouted an order, directing the group to find a safe base.
Jian Mo noticed they weren’t heading to the river but toward the mountains instead. Curious, he hugged the giant wolf’s neck and asked, “Aren’t we setting up camp by the river?”
The giant wolf glanced back at him and replied in a low voice, “The river isn’t safe. It could rise overnight. Plus, many wild animals come to the river to drink, and predators lurk in the water. Most of those guarding the camp will be sub-beastmen, so it’s safer in the mountains.”
“That makes sense,” Jian Mo admitted.
After a discussion between the two tribes, they decided to camp atop a small hill.
At the campsite, a few beastmen stayed behind to guard the camp while the others quickly set out to hunt.
Watching the groups rush down, Jian Mo asked, “Won’t they scare off the game?”
Qing Kuo shook his head. “They’ll chase and surround the prey. With so many animals, some will escape, but plenty will be cornered.”
Jian Mo remarked, “But that must be exhausting for them!”
Qing Kuo explained, “We have no choice. The goal isn’t just to catch prey but to do it without injuries. While there’s plenty of game here, it’s also dangerous. If you’re not careful, you could end up with a ruptured belly or a broken leg, so we have to be extremely cautious.”
Jian Mo sighed. “It seems like hunting isn’t easy, even with so much prey around.”
“Exactly,” Qing Kuo replied, clapping his hands and calling out to the others, “Let’s get the camp set up quickly. The hunters will be bringing back prey soon.”
The group immediately got to work.
Although they had already selected this spot as the campsite, it still needed preparation. The area had to be cleared and leveled, and their supplies had to be unloaded.
The grass on the ground was thick and had to be cut to avoid poisonous insects hiding in it. In addition to cutting the grass and leveling the land, they also needed to fetch water and collect firewood.
Trees were scarce on the plains, and the ones they found often had high moisture content, making them unsuitable as firewood.
Instead, the team gathered dried dung from herbivores. This dung burned longer than regular grass, had no strong odor, and served as an excellent fuel.
The sub-beastmen on this trip were all capable and efficient, working together seamlessly without incident.
Jian Mo, less skilled, focused on cutting grass and leveling the ground.
As he was mainly here as a cook and doctor, the others didn’t let him do heavier tasks. Feeling their care, Jian Mo worked even harder at what he could do.
Before they had finished setting up camp, the hunters returned with their first haul of game.
Most of the animals were ones Jian Mo had never seen before. The prey was large and plump, and there was an impressive amount.
Jian Mo had never seen beastmen bring back so much game in one go. Previously, hunts yielded only a few animals at a time, but today, group after group returned with prey.
The sub-beastmen immediately sprang into action upon receiving the game.
Quick and skilled, sub-beastmen like Qing Kuo and Ye Luo took on the tasks of skinning and butchering. Others helped transport the meat and apply spices.
As for the animal blood—it wasn’t feasible to transport it, so it was fed to Chirpy. Later, Chirpy would also get a portion of food and a basket of fresh grass, more than enough to fill its belly.
Jian Mo busied himself alongside the others and noticed something odd: no one washed the meat, not even the internal organs. Aside from setting the intestines aside, they simply wiped the organs clean with grass, applied salt and spices, and hung them to dry.
Curious, Jian Mo quietly asked Ye Luo, “Don’t you wash the meat?”
Ye Luo, busy with his work, answered, “It’s too much trouble, and washing by the river isn’t safe. We salt and dry the meat first, then clean it properly before eating.”
A nearby Meng Shui Tribe sub-beastman overheard and added, “There’s no need to wash it. It’s all from inside the animal. You just remove it while cooking.”
Jian Mo was stunned but kept working.
Round after round of tasks left Jian Mo’s hands numb. The excitement of a spring outing was nowhere to be found.
However, the hunt’s yield was indeed plentiful. By the end of the afternoon, they had caught as much game as the tribe would normally gather in five or six days.
By evening, as the sunset lit up the sky, the two tribes began discussing dinner plans.
After a brief exchange, they unanimously decided on a stew.
Fortunately, Jian Mo’s sturdy iron pots had been brought along for the trip, and they would use them to cook the meal.
On a makeshift stove built on the grass, they placed the iron pots and filled them with meat and water.
As they said, the meat was not washed. It was cut into chunks and placed directly in the pot with clean water for boiling.
The fire beneath the pot roared, and Jian Mo stayed by the pot, skimming off the foam as soon as it appeared, even before the water boiled completely.
The others were amazed at his meticulous cooking.
Jian Mo explained, “I’m eating this too, so it has to be clean.”
He diligently removed the foam and added spices to the stew.
Local spices imparted a unique aroma to the plain boiled meat. Nothing else was needed—just cook the meat until tender, and it could be enjoyed with dipping sauce.
As darkness fell, the hunters returned to camp.
Everyone, exhausted from a long day, finally sat down to rest.
Gathered around the glowing campfires, they ladled bowls of broth to drink first.
The broth was served plain, with a small pinch of salt if desired, or simply as it was.
Despite its simplicity, the broth’s pure flavor was a welcome reward after a day’s labor.
As they drank, conversations sparked:
“I don’t know why, but today’s broth tastes especially rich.”
“Have you looked at who cooked it? Doctor Jian Mo, your stew is amazing!”
“Jian Mo really puts effort into his cooking. Not a speck of scum left, no wonder it’s so delicious.”
“Doctor Jian Mo, what are you making now? It smells incredible!”
Jian Mo, busy at the stove, turned his head. “I’m making mushroom sauce. It’ll be for dipping the meat later to make it taste even better.”
Hearing this, everyone thanked him enthusiastically.
Jian Mo smiled and continued working.
The mushroom sauce had already been simmered once at home, so now he just added freshly picked herbs and leaves.
These fresh ingredients had a strong aroma, perfect for enhancing the flavor and exciting the taste buds.
He boiled the sauce again to ensure safety—wild herbs collected from the plains might carry parasites, so heating was essential.
Soon, the dipping sauce was ready. Jian Mo placed the jar nearby, allowing everyone to help themselves.
Alongside the mushroom sauce, he set out onion paste for dipping.
The difference was immediately apparent—meat with the sauce was far tastier, and most people added it, praising it as they ate:
“This is incredible.”
“I never thought Wildly Grass in a sauce would be so flavorful with meat. I’ll have to try this at home.”
“To be honest, today’s game isn’t the best. I saw some meat-winged birds earlier. If we have time tomorrow, let’s catch some. Those are absolutely delicious.”
After dinner, the others refused to let Jian Mo lift a finger and sent him off to rest while they cleaned the campsite.
With so many skilled hands at work, the camp was tidied up in no time, even before the night fully set in.
After tidying up, they lit campfires and divided into zones for rest.
To ensure nighttime safety, beastmen were assigned to patrol the perimeter.
Their manpower was limited, unlike in the tribe where designated patrols could stay up all night and rest during the day. Instead, they rotated patrol duties.
Wu Jiong took a turn patrolling in the second half of the night. Since he was on duty tonight, he wouldn’t need to patrol the next two nights.
Because of the patrol schedule, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong went to bed early.
Chirpy nestled close to them, soon letting out soft snores.
In the middle of the night, the giant wolf Wu Jiong was awakened by the patrol shift change. He moved slightly, intending to slide Jian Mo onto the ground and carry him over to the fur bedding so he could continue sleeping.
However, as soon as he stirred, Jian Mo woke up, rubbing his face against Wu Jiong’s neck and yawning. “Can I patrol with you?” he asked sleepily.
The giant wolf nuzzled him lightly. “You can. Stay on my back. If I start running, hold on tight to my neck.”
Jian Mo wrapped his long legs around Wu Jiong’s neck and encircled him with his arms, resting his head on the wolf’s neck. “I’m holding tight now.”
The giant wolf replied, “Then I’ll take you along.”
Since patrolling was relatively low-risk, with any danger quickly alerting the sleeping beastmen, bringing his partner along wasn’t an issue.
The beastman partnered with Wu Jiong for patrol glanced at Jian Mo riding on his back but said nothing, heading in another direction for his watch.
Wu Jiong began walking the camp’s perimeter.
Patrolling was monotonous, and Jian Mo, leaning on Wu Jiong, lazed for a while before opening his eyes to chat. “Are you hunting nearby again tomorrow?”
Wu Jiong replied, “There’s plenty of game nearby. We could spend another day here—no need to move far.”
“So, the day after tomorrow, you might head elsewhere?” Jian Mo asked.
The giant wolf nodded. “Probably farther south. If you’re tired, you should sleep. No need to stay awake just to talk.”
Jian Mo half-closed his eyes, resting his weight on Wu Jiong’s back. “I’m not that sleepy, actually. It’s just really comfortable here—it makes me drowsy.”
As he spoke, he reached up to gently rub Wu Jiong’s ears with both hands. “Talking like this, I don’t feel sleepy anymore.”
The giant wolf thought for a moment. “When dawn comes, do you want to go mushroom hunting? Yesterday, I saw some decayed ones, which means fresh mushrooms should have sprouted today.”
Jian Mo perked up, most of his drowsiness vanishing. “Edible mushrooms?”
“Of course,” Wu Jiong replied. “I wouldn’t suggest it otherwise.”
“I want to go!” Jian Mo said immediately.
The giant wolf said, “I’ll take you after I finish patrolling. We can also wash up while we’re out. Didn’t you feel uncomfortable not bathing yesterday?”
Jian Mo chuckled. “It wasn’t too bad, just a little odd after sweating.”
Wu Jiong added, “We’ll wash up outside and then come back.”
