Yesterday’s fishing and frying had been exhausting, but thanks to his internal clock, Jian Mo still woke up on time, ready to get out of bed.
However, the lighting on the second floor was very dim—it seemed like the sun hadn’t risen yet.
So, he had woken up too early. No wonder he still felt so tired.
Realizing this, Jian Mo paused his attempt to get up and snuggled back into the warmth of his blankets.
Might as well get up when it’s actually light out, Jian Mo thought.
Hearing movement upstairs but seeing that Jian Mo wasn’t coming down, Wu Jiong called out, “Jian Mo?”
Half asleep, Jian Mo mumbled back, “Hmm? What is it?”
Originally, Wu Jiong used to sleep on the second floor, but ever since Jian Mo moved in, he relocated to the first floor. During the day, he would neatly store his bedding back on the second floor.
Wu Jiong asked, “Are you cold? There’s a fur robe in the chest—put it on.”
Jian Mo slowly woke up a bit more. “Has the weather changed?”
Wu Jiong replied, “Yes, it’s late autumn now.”
Jian Mo got up, walked to the window, and took a look outside.
The change in season was quite apparent.
The leaves on the distant mountains had turned yellow overnight, creating a vibrant, colorful scene.
Standing by the window for just a moment, Jian Mo could already feel the chill. He really would need a fur robe to keep warm.
Seeing that Jian Mo was still quiet, Wu Jiong came up to help find the robe.
After rummaging around, he finally pulled out a relatively lightweight fur robe and handed it to Jian Mo. “It’s a bit big on you; I’ll adjust it later.”
Since Jian Mo wasn’t as tall or broad-shouldered as Wu Jiong, the robe looked oversized on him, with the sleeves hanging down too far. “I’ll alter it after breakfast. What would you like to eat?”
They usually only ate two meals a day, so they made sure each one was hearty.
Wu Jiong suggested, “Let’s have some of the leftover fried fish and pickled meat patties.”
Jian Mo happily agreed, “No problem. I’ll also make a vegetable soup and steam some Wooden Roots.”
Braving the chilly wind, Jian Mo quickly washed up and set out the various pots and utensils.
They used a communal fire pit where several pots could be placed at once. The soup, Wooden Roots, and steamed meat patties only required two pots, so he could cook them simultaneously without needing to keep a close watch.
After placing the pots on the fire pit, Jian Mo brought over the pot they used yesterday for frying fish.
There was still about half a pot of oil left. Since it had been used for so long, the beast fat had turned dark, and there were bits of residue floating in it.
Given that they had enough food, Jian Mo decided not to reuse this batch of oil.
He poured the oil into a large bowl, planning to mix some with plant tubers later to feed the Winged Beast.
Beast fat was a valuable resource, so it would be wasteful to just throw it away. Using it to give the Winged Beast a treat seemed like a good idea.
Both of them were efficient workers.
By the time they finished breakfast, most of the tribe hadn’t even started eating.
Wu Jiong took on the task of washing the dishes and cleaning the house.
Once they were ready, they gathered to head out for foraging.
Today, Jian Mo decided to join Zhou Fu and his group.
Being younger, they were more talkative and easygoing.
The people of the tribe had lived here for generations, so they were familiar with every mountain and knew exactly where to gather different resources.
Today’s gathering was going very smoothly. Even as a novice, Jian Mo managed to fill over half a basket with food.
Zhou Fu mentioned that spring and autumn were the seasons when it was quite easy to find an abundance of food, whereas winter made finding food much harder.
Fortunately, their tribe was in a resource-rich area.
Other tribes weren’t as lucky—if they couldn’t gather enough food in the summer and autumn, the beastmen and sub-beastmen would resort to a cycle of eating for two days and fasting for one day during winter, with only half the days involving any meals.
Hearing this, Jian Mo sighed inwardly. Life in this world was truly challenging due to low productivity levels.
By evening, as Jian Mo’s group returned, most of the hunting parties had not yet come back, and Wu Jiong’s team was also still out.
Jian Mo prepared the evening meal, then carried some food to feed the Winged Beast while also checking its health.
The moment the Winged Beast saw him, its eyes lit up: “Chirp, chirp!”
Jian Mo, carrying some grass and a mix of tuber mash blended with leftover fried fish oil, nudged its large head away playfully. “You gluttonous creature, always so eager.”
The Winged Beast hopped in place twice excitedly, “Chirp, chirp!”
Jian Mo patted its leg and said, “Stop jumping around, or you’ll hurt yourself with those ropes tied up. Doesn’t it hurt?”
He placed the food in front of the Winged Beast, using the opportunity to check its condition while it ate.
Soon, Jian Mo noticed that the scabs on its wounds had fallen off, revealing healthy pink skin beneath, with new fur starting to grow.
Its wing also seemed nearly fully healed.
At least, when Jian Mo touched it, the beast didn’t show any signs of discomfort.
Earlier, when it flapped its wings, Jian Mo hadn’t noticed any stiffness, indicating that it was no longer in pain.
The Winged Beast’s healing ability was truly impressive. But it made Jian Mo wonder—did the beastmen and sub-beastmen have similar recovery abilities?
Logically, they should. Even though everyone knew he was a veterinarian, aside from the initial visit from Hong Qiu, no one had come to seek his help since.
The Winged Beast was always a fast eater, and soon enough, it finished its meal and looked up at Jian Mo with eager eyes.
Jian Mo spread his hands. “I don’t have anything else for you. You’ll have to wait until after we’ve had our dinner to see if there are any leftovers.”
The Winged Beast chirped plaintively: “Chirp, chirp.”
They didn’t always have leftovers, but after cooking, they could rinse the pots and pans with some water, boil it along with vegetable scraps, and feed that to the Winged Beast.
The creature had quite an appetite and didn’t mind eating such simple fare.
After feeding the Winged Beast, Jian Mo slung his basket over his shoulder and headed back to Wu Jiong’s house.
As he turned a corner, he nearly bumped into Wu Jiong, who asked, “Were you just feeding the Winged Beast?”
“Yes.” Jian Mo fell into step beside him. “I just checked on it again—its wing is almost fully healed. I think it could fly now.”
Wu Jiong said, “I’ll go take a look.”
Although Jian Mo had just finished examining the Winged Beast, he decided to accompany Wu Jiong back.
The moment the Winged Beast saw Jian Mo, it greeted him with uncontainable excitement, chirping loudly from afar: “Chirp, chirp, chirp!” In the entire tribe, only Jian Mo received such a warm reception.
But as he got closer, the Winged Beast noticed that his basket was empty and immediately drooped its head in disappointment. “Whimper…”
Jian Mo patted the Winged Beast’s chubby rump and said, “I’ll feed you later.”
The Winged Beast chirped, “Chirp.”
Wu Jiong stood beside it, gently moving its wing to get it to exercise.
The Winged Beast was clearly afraid of Wu Jiong. It stayed completely still, allowing Wu Jiong to handle it without resistance.
Watching from the side, Jian Mo eagerly asked, “How does it look? Is the Winged Beast doing well?”
Wu Jiong nodded, “It feels normal now. We can set aside some time to train it.”
Jian Mo couldn’t hide his excitement, “Train it to carry someone while flying?”
Wu Jiong nodded again.
Jian Mo asked, “What kind of equipment do we need? Should we start making it right away?”
Wu Jiong replied, “We don’t need much—just make a sturdy harness with strong ropes.”
Jian Mo immediately said, “Do we have ropes at home? Or should we trade with someone? Qing Kuo makes excellent ropes!”
Wu Jiong said, “I’ll go ask around.”
Jian Mo urged him, “Go quickly! I’ll stay here with the Winged Beast.”
The Winged Beast, not knowing they were planning to ride it, stared at Jian Mo with wide, excited eyes. It nudged him with its big head, urging him to play.
Jian Mo patted its fluffy head but stayed at a slight angle for safety, not getting too close.
Wu Jiong soon returned with ropes, followed by a crowd of curious onlookers.
“Jian Mo, we’re here!”
“Is it time to ride the Winged Beast?”
“Hurry, give me the rope—I’ll tie the knots!”
Without waiting for Jian Mo’s response, everyone rushed forward.
Jian Mo turned to Wu Jiong and they exchanged a glance.
Wu Jiong gave a slight nod.
While they shared that brief look, the others had already skillfully tied the rope into a harness and slipped it over the Winged Beast.
The Winged Beast seemed a bit uncomfortable, shaking its head and trying to pull away, but it was quickly subdued by the eager crowd.
Unable to resist, the Winged Beast soon gave up struggling and flopped down, fully surrendering to the situation.
Jian Mo stepped back to stand next to Wu Jiong and whispered, “Isn’t this harness a bit too simple?”
Wu Jiong glanced at it and said, “It’ll do. Just tie it securely.”
A thought suddenly came to Jian Mo, “But the tribe hasn’t dealt with Winged Beasts before, right? Do you know how to train it?”
Wu Jiong nodded, “It’s not too difficult. Just get it to fly.”
Jian Mo asked, “But what if it starts acting up in the air? That could be really dangerous.”
“You can just transform into beast form and pin it down,” Wu Jiong explained. “Beastmen are agile. As long as the Winged Beast doesn’t crash itself, it won’t be able to throw off its rider.”
Jian Mo thought to himself that this was quite a rough training method.
As they were talking, Ban Ming excitedly squeezed through the crowd. “Chief, Brother Jian Mo, you two keep chatting—I want to try riding the Winged Beast!”
Wu Jiong eyed him before handing over the reins. “Be careful!”
Ban Ming quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry. We of the He’an Tribe can jump from heights of 100 feet without a scratch.”
Wu Jiong nodded, “I know.”
Ban Ming adjusted his fur skirt, grabbed the reins, and with a nimble leap, mounted the Winged Beast’s back.
Sitting securely on the creature’s shoulders, Ban Ming pulled on the reins, trying to urge the Winged Beast into flight.
But the Winged Beast stayed firmly on the ground, eyes half-closed, completely unresponsive.
Ban Ming was baffled. “???”
He hopped off, examined the creature from all angles, and tugged at the reins again. “Hey, come on, fly! Aren’t you healed already?”
The Winged Beast remained splayed on the ground, letting out a weak whimper, “Whimper…”
The onlookers started speculating:
“Maybe its wing is still hurting?”
“I’ve seen other tribes with Winged Beasts—usually, just pulling their wings a bit gets them to fly. This seems like the right way to ride one.”
“Maybe this one’s a loner—it never learned how to work with people.”
Ban Ming kept trying to coax it into flying, but the Winged Beast stubbornly refused to budge. Sweating with frustration, Ban Ming turned to Jian Mo for confirmation, “Brother Jian Mo, are you sure its injuries are healed?”
Jian Mo nodded from the crowd. “It should be fully recovered by now.”
Ban Ming asked, “Then why isn’t it responding?!”
Ban Ming rubbed the creature’s neck and threatened, “You better fly, or else we might just turn you into dinner—animals that don’t serve a purpose get eaten in our tribe!”
Upon hearing this, the Winged Beast trembled slightly but still refused to move, its head shrinking down in apparent distress.
No matter what Ban Ming did, the creature remained unresponsive, leaving him at his wit’s end.
The crowd laughed at Ban Ming’s futile efforts.
Another beastman stepped forward. “Let me give it a try.”
Jian Mo recognized him—it was Di Ya, Ban Ming’s father.
Before Di Ya could even get on, the Winged Beast suddenly turned its head and affectionately rubbed its furry face against Jian Mo. “Chirp, chirp.”
Di Ya paused, surprised. “Looks like this one recognizes people.”
Everyone turned their gaze toward Jian Mo.
Qing Kuo suggested, “Maybe the Winged Beast wants you to ride it, Jian Mo?”
Jian Mo was unsure. “Me?”
As if to confirm, the Winged Beast nudged Jian Mo again, chirping softly, “Chirp.”
Di Ya looked from the Winged Beast to Jian Mo and laughed, “Seems like it’s chosen you. But it’s risky for you to ride it.”
Wu Jiong spoke up from behind, “I’ll go with him.”
The crowd fell silent for a moment, then quickly voiced their agreement.
Jian Mo hesitated, but the Winged Beast turned its large, eager eyes on him, chirping again: “Chirp, chirp.”
Jian Mo relented, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
Wu Jiong grabbed the reins and steadied the Winged Beast, allowing Jian Mo to climb on.
The Winged Beast, seeing Jian Mo approaching, lay down on the ground, spreading its massive wings wide like the roof of a house.
Jian Mo clumsily climbed onto its back, but the creature stayed perfectly still, showing remarkable patience—completely different from how it had reacted when Ban Ming had tried to mount it earlier.
Watching from the side, Ban Ming was practically shedding tears of frustration.
Jian Mo settled himself just a bit ahead of the creature’s shoulders, patting its neck gently to soothe it.
With a light jump, Wu Jiong landed behind him, sitting securely on the Winged Beast’s back. He held the reins in one hand and wrapped his other arm around Jian Mo’s waist.
Jian Mo, much smaller than Wu Jiong, was nearly enveloped by him, his back pressed against Wu Jiong’s solid, warm chest, making him feel like he was almost being held in Wu Jiong’s embrace.
Feeling uncomfortable, Jian Mo shifted slightly, trying to escape the close contact.
Wu Jiong’s arm tightened around him. “Don’t move—you might fall off.”
Jian Mo quickly sat up straight, gripping the Winged Beast’s fur with both hands. “Got it.”
Wu Jiong pulled on the reins. “Alright, let’s see if the Winged Beast can fly.”
Following his cue, Jian Mo patted the Winged Beast and called out, “Can you take off?”
The Winged Beast let out a long cry, “Chirp—”
It then stood up, took a few running steps, and with powerful flaps of its wings, lifted into the air.
It looked incredibly graceful.
Jian Mo had flown on planes before, but sitting on the back of a living creature was far more exhilarating.
With a sudden surge and a sense of weightlessness, the Winged Beast soared into the sky.
Although its previously injured wing still showed a slight stiffness, it had no trouble gliding smoothly through the air.
Jian Mo clung tightly to the creature’s fur. At that moment, Wu Jiong’s strong arm around his waist and his sturdy chest against Jian Mo’s back gave him an immense sense of security.
Who needed a seatbelt when you had a beastman like this? He was like a human-shaped safety harness!
The wind whipped against them, making it hard for Jian Mo to keep his eyes open.
However, when he looked down, he could see the entire tribe below, the people watching with upturned faces, and even the snow-capped mountains in the distance with the sun shining above.
The view was absolutely breathtaking!
Jian Mo held his breath, his eyes wide with wonder. The sight was simply magnificent.
Wu Jiong leaned close to his ear and said, “Don’t be afraid.”
Jian Mo shouted against the wind, “I-I’m not scared, it’s just… really exciting!”
Wu Jiong nodded, “Alright.”
Wu Jiong began experimenting with guiding the Winged Beast.
The creature was incredibly intelligent. Pulling up on the reins made it ascend; gently pressing its head made it descend. Tapping its left wing directed it left, and tapping the right wing turned it right.
Despite this being its first time carrying riders, it flew remarkably smoothly.
They flew a full circle around the sky before smoothly landing back on the ground.
Jian Mo rubbed his face—it was almost numb from the wind.
The Winged Beast, clearly exhilarated from its long-overdue flight, let out a couple of excited cries after landing: “Chirp—chirp—”
Seeing this, Ban Ming quickly leaped onto its back, trying to get it to fly again.
The Winged Beast glanced at him, then squatted down and refused to cooperate.
Ban Ming, frustrated, muttered, “It seems like it doesn’t want to carry anyone except Brother Jian Mo.”
Di Ya, Ban Ming’s father, agreed, “It does seem that way. Jian Mo, why don’t you get on again and see if it’ll fly with you?”
Jian Mo hesitated, and Di Ya cheerfully invited him, “Come on, give it a try! My beast form is strong—I won’t let you fall.”
Jian Mo couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s not what I meant.”
After thinking it over, Jian Mo climbed back onto the Winged Beast’s back to see if it would fly again.
Sure enough, with Jian Mo riding it, the creature took off once more.
After they landed again, even Ban Ming managed to take a turn flying with Jian Mo. It became clear to everyone that the Winged Beast would only take flight when Jian Mo was on its back.
Seeing this, everyone was both amused and amazed:
“This creature really does recognize people, doesn’t it?”
“It’s actually quite smart.”
“Jian Mo, why don’t you just take it in and raise it? After all, you’re the one who saved it.”
“We can share the food costs with the tribe. You can ride it whenever you want, and when needed, you can lend it out to help the tribe.”
Suggestions poured in from all sides as everyone looked expectantly at Jian Mo.
Feeling the weight of their gazes, Jian Mo looked at the Winged Beast and finally nodded. “If the tribe is okay with it, I’m willing to take care of it.”
Wu Jiong agreed, “You take care of it. The tribe will cover half of the food.”
Ban Ming cheered, “That’s great! Brother Jian Mo, you should give it a name. Other tribes’ Winged Beasts all have names.”
Jian Mo thought for a moment and said, “How about ‘Chirpy’? It always makes that ‘chirp’ sound when it’s happy. I hope it can stay cheerful in our tribe.”
Everyone agreed.
The Winged Beast flapped its wings lightly and let out a cheerful cry, “Chirp!”
Jian Mo happily rubbed its head. “Chirpy!”
