The Marshlands (continued)

Zhou Fu: "Yeah. At most, people from twenty-seven tribes gathered for the hunting gathering. At the fewest, there were only four. So every year, the Mengshui Tribe sends beastmen to ask the other tribes whether they're taking part."

Jian Mo: "There are twenty-seven tribes nearby?"

Zhou Fu: "Not really. There are only five tribes around us, six including ours. The others all came from farther away. Our land is higher up, and there aren't many tribes around us. I've heard some tribes live lower down, with other tribes' territories all around them."

As everyone chatted, the conversation turned to what they would bring this year.

Some were bringing beast meat, some were bringing hides, and others were bringing cloth they had woven that year. Everyone was still absorbed in weaving these days, and quite a few sub-beastmen had spare cloth on hand.

Knowing Jian Mo had no experience, everyone advised him to bring something useful, since he would have a better chance of trading it.

Jian Mo said glumly, "Then I don't seem to have much to bring."

Xi Lu: "You could bring bars of soap. I like the soap you make."

Jian Mo thought it over. "I don't have many bars left. I'll make another batch in a couple of days."

Zhou Fu immediately said, "You could bring food, too. The things you make are so delicious. If you bring them to trade, you'll definitely get lots of things in return."

Jian Mo looked at him, puzzled.

Zhou Fu: "All kinds of food are the quickest things to trade every year. Everyone's eager to try delicacies from other tribes, but sadly, there aren't many good ones."

Jian Mo understood. Everyone had grown tired of the food they usually made and wanted to satisfy their cravings at the hunting gathering.

Jian Mo: "I'll think about it."

Jian Mo also asked Wu Jiong what he thought about what to bring to trade at the hunting gathering.

Wu Jiong likewise suggested bringing food.

Jian Mo was an excellent cook, so anything he brought was sure to be popular.

Even if some of the food failed to sell, they could simply bring it back and eat it. Nothing would go to waste.

Jian Mo pondered it. "You're right."

Wu Jiong: "Are you bringing meat patties? What kind of meat do you need? I'll go hunt some."

Jian Mo already had an idea. "Hunting is too hard. I'll bring fish pieces instead."

Wu Jiong: "Fish pieces?"

Jian Mo: "Didn't you all say the fish pieces I made last time were delicious?"

Wu Jiong nodded.

Jian Mo smiled. "Then let's bring fish pieces. Fish are easier to catch than beasts."

Wu Jiong said, "The river nearby won't do. The fish in it aren't big enough. Let's catch them at the Green Marsh Source."

Jian Mo: "Where's that?"

Wu Jiong: "A little far from the tribe. There are lots of fish there. It's hard to explain. Come back early tomorrow, and I'll take you to see it."

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong were going out to catch fish, so while they were gathering, Jian Mo made a point of telling the others in his group that he needed to head back early that afternoon.

Everyone in the group this year was an old acquaintance, and no one had any objection to him heading back early because he had something to do.

There was just one thing-

Zhou Fu asked, "Can we come catch fish too?"

Jian Mo was surprised. "You all want to catch fish? Don't you hardly ever eat it?"

Zhou Fu said frankly, "That's because the fish we had before wasn't cooked well. The fish you fried last time was really tasty. We all liked it."

Jian Mo: "Wu Jiong and I were planning to ride a Flying-Winged Beast to the Green Marsh Source to catch fish. If everyone comes too, the beastmen may have to carry you there in their beast forms."

Zhou Fu: "No problem. But it's getting a bit late today. How about we leave tomorrow instead?"

Jian Mo thought that would work too. The hunting gathering was still several days away, so there was no great rush.

Jian Mo told Wu Jiong and postponed their fishing trip until the next day.

At first, Wu Jiong had only planned to take Jian Mo.

After Zhou Fu and the others joined, the group grew to more than a dozen people.

Later, other people in the tribe heard about it and said they wanted to come catch fish too.

Before long, most of the tribe had been stirred into action.

Seeing this, Wu Jiong simply made a new plan, setting aside an entire day to take everyone fishing.

The Green Marsh Source was some distance from the tribe. Even at the speed the beastmen could run in their beast forms, it would take about half the morning to get there.

To have more time to catch fish at the Green Marsh Source, everyone set out at daybreak.

The beastmen carried the sub-beastmen on their backs as they ran across the open land.

Orange-yellow sunlight poured down, covering the earth. The snow-covered mountains in the distance looked especially dazzling.

As they drew closer to their destination, Jian Mo gradually caught sight of vast stretches of marshland and slowly flowing rivers, as well as some animals he had never seen before.

The wild animals were all very alert. They took off running while the group was still far away.

Sunlight fell on them as they became another "river" across the open land.

"Roar, we're here-" Di Ya, who was leading the way, stopped and signaled to those behind him.

The sub-beastmen slid skillfully off the beastmen's backs, while the beastmen turned away and changed back into human form.

Jian Mo craned his neck to examine their surroundings.

These were rivers too, but they flowed across marshland. The water was murkier, and there were more aquatic plants on the riverbeds-life here was much more abundant.

Perhaps it was because the land was lower and the temperature higher.

Wu Jiong exchanged a few words with the beastmen nearby, then walked over to Jian Mo. "Let's catch them over there."

Jian Mo was eager to get started. "Are the fish here easy to catch?"

Wu Jiong: "A little easier than the fish in the river near the tribe."

The others had already spread out and were trying to catch fish.

In that short time, several people had already caught some.

Jian Mo glanced over. The fish they had caught were large and plump, and looked very good.

He wondered how these unfamiliar fish tasted. Did they have a strong muddy flavor?

Although the fish were easy to catch, filling a basket one fish at a time would take a while.

The impatient ones soon couldn't stand it anymore. Someone up ahead shouted, "How long will it take to catch enough fish like this?"

"The water's so murky here, I can't see!"