Recaps

Wu Jiong bet Ban Ming that he could find Three-Eyed Fish before sunset, with Arrow-Bone Beasts at stake. After searching for much of the day, Wu Jiong caught a Three-Eyed Fish, leaving the bet in his favor.

• Ban Ming bet Wu Jiong that he could not catch a Three-Eyed Fish, and they agreed on the beasts each would owe the other.
• Wu Jiong changed into his beast form and carried Jian Mo along the river to search while Ban Ming followed.
• Jian Mo told Jiujiu to return, and Ran Wu led Jiujiu upstream.
• Wu Jiong searched through the morning without finding a fish, despite Ban Ming's taunts.
• Wu Jiong stopped at a riverbank hole, opened it, and caught a Three-Eyed Fish as De Jiang and Qing Kuo identified it.

Wu Jiong used his skill at reading the riverbank to catch thirteen Three-Eyed Fish, winning his bet with Ban Ming, and Jian Mo watched him prepare the fish gallbladders. The chapter ended with Wu Jiong separating Jian Mo and Jiujiu after their chase around the yard.

• Wu Jiong found Three-Eyed Fish by spotting places where the riverbank's smell differed, and he caught thirteen while Ban Ming watched in disbelief.
• Wu Jiong stopped fishing, returned the female fish to the river, and reminded Ban Ming to deliver thirteen Arrow-Bone Beasts for losing the bet.
• Back at home, Wu Jiong removed the fish gallbladders for drying, while Jian Mo discovered that soap could not remove their strong smell.
• Jiujiu rubbed his fishy, bloodied chin against Jian Mo, and the two chased each other around the yard until Wu Jiong caught and separated them.

Jian Mo decided to turn the smelly three-eyed fish into fish sauce rather than waste them, and he and Wu Jiong prepared a jar to ferment. After bathing together in the river, they returned home to find Jiujiu waiting for dinner.

• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong discussed what to do with the nine three-eyed fish after Jiujiu refused to eat them.
• Jian Mo proposed fermenting the fish with salt to make fish sauce, and Wu Jiong helped him pound the fish into paste by the river.
• Jian Mo mixed the fish paste with salt in a jar and sealed it to ferment.
• Jian Mo persuaded Wu Jiong to transform into his giant wolf form so he could wash him in the river.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong returned home hand in hand, where Jiujiu whimpered at them from the courtyard.

As the weather warmed, Jian Mo discovered that the Pack-Pack Beasts had reached breeding age and decided to trade the three males for unrelated breeding stock at the Xiongying Tribe. When he and Wu Jiong tried to tie up the males for the trip, all the beasts panicked, leaving them to consider herding them instead.

• Jian Mo picked vegetables by the river and made scallion-leaf sauce for breakfast.
• Jian Mo noticed a mark on Wu Jiong's hand and learned that agitated Pack-Pack Beasts had knocked it.
• Jian Mo examined the Pack-Pack Beasts and found that the three males were in heat and old enough to breed.
• Jian Mo proposed trading the three males for unrelated Pack-Pack Beasts at the Xiongying Tribe, and Wu Jiong agreed to travel there with him.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong tried to tie up the three males, but the Pack-Pack Beasts panicked, so Wu Jiong suggested herding them with branches.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong set out to trade Pack-Pack Beasts but were asked by the Mengshui Tribe to examine a wandering beastman cub. Jian Mo reached the cub and began assessing his severe neglect, while the cause of the cub’s condition remained unknown.

• Jian Mo anesthetized three male Pack-Pack Beasts with Wu Jiong and asked Qing Kuo to care for the remaining beasts and Jiujiu while they were away.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong encountered Mengshui tribespeople seeking medical help for a wandering beastman cub and agreed to visit the Mengshui Tribe.
• Yun Long welcomed Jian Mo and Wu Jiong and led them to the cub, who was being kept in an empty house under guard.
• Jian Mo put on protective gear, reassured the frightened cub, and examined his badly matted fur, which was tangled with dried blood, grass, and dirt.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong treated the sick, emaciated beastman cub, who began to trust them enough to speak. Xing Yuan revealed that his parents had been traveling back to the Green Forest Tribe with him when one father died and the other tried to find a tribe to care for him.

• Jian Mo shaved the cub's matted fur so he could examine and treat his skin.
• Wu Jiong and Jian Mo bathed the cub, applied herbal ointment, and comforted him as he cried.
• The cub thanked the Mengshui Tribe for the finely minced meat stew, then told Yun Long that his name was Xing Yuan.
• Xing Yuan explained that his two fathers were from the Green Forest Tribe and had set out to travel after growing old.
• Xing Yuan said that after he was born during their return journey, one father died, and his other father tried to find a tribe where he could leave him.

After Xing Yuan recounted how he had lost his parents and wandered until he reached the Mengshui Tribe, Yun Long welcomed him into the tribe. Jian Mo and Wu Jiong visited him with supplies and a knife, then learned that Xing Yuan was willing to be adopted by a childless couple.

• Xing Yuan told the Mengshui Tribe how his father died during their journey and how he eventually found the tribe by following the river.
• Yun Long promised Xing Yuan that he could live in the Mengshui Tribe, and Jian Mo and Wu Jiong returned to the Riverside Tribe after Jian Mo treated him.
• Jian Mo told Wu Jiong that he wanted to help prevent elderly couples in their tribe from having to wander away, and Wu Jiong agreed.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong rode Jiujiu to visit Xing Yuan, treated him, gave him cloth and a small knife, and watched him transform into human form.
• Yun Long told Jian Mo and Wu Jiong that the Mengshui Tribe planned to find a childless couple to adopt Xing Yuan, and said Xing Yuan had agreed.

The Riverside Tribe debated whether to hunt on the great plains, where migrating beasts could provide abundant prey, and narrowly voted to go. Jian Mo felt excited but nervous as the two tribes prepared to leave together.

• Wu Jiong explained the great plains hunt to the Riverside Tribe, and members argued over its risks and benefits.
• Jian Mo wanted to go but stayed quiet while the adults debated.
• Wu Jiong called a vote, and those willing to hunt won by a narrow margin.
• Wu Jiong arranged for the willing members to sign up, notified the Mengshui Tribe, and agreed on a departure date.
• Jian Mo asked Wu Jiong about past hunts and injuries, and Wu Jiong explained that beastmen could be injured even hunting near the tribe.

Jian Mo traveled with the Riverside Tribe and Mengshui Tribe to hunt on the great plains, where vast herds and their predators had gathered. The hunters began bringing back large quantities of prey, and Jian Mo joined the camp in processing the meat.

• Jian Mo agreed to bring medicines, surgical instruments, and Jiujiu on the hunting trip, while Wu Jiong arranged extra food and Jian Mo prepared sauces.
• Eighty people from each tribe set out for the great plains, with Jiujiu flying overhead and Jian Mo riding on a giant wolf.
• The group reached the plains at noon and chose a low mountain for camp because the river could flood and attracted dangerous animals.
• The hunters split into groups to chase and surround prey while those at camp cleared the ground, gathered fuel, and set up camp.
• The beastmen returned with herd after herd of prey, and Qing Kuo, Ye Luo, and the other sub-beastmen began skinning, cutting, seasoning, and drying the meat.
• Jian Mo helped process the prey and observed that the group wiped the offal clean instead of washing it, then salted and spiced it for drying.

Jian Mo helped prepare a large stew and sauces after the tribes’ successful hunt, then joined Wu Jiong on his nighttime patrol. The chapter left them circling the camp as Jian Mo asked about hunting nearby again.

• Jian Mo and Ye Luo processed the day’s abundant meat, and the tribes agreed to make stewed meat for dinner.
• Jian Mo skimmed the stew, added spices, and prepared mushroom dipping sauce and scallion oil, which the hunters praised.
• After dinner, the tribes arranged the camp and organized patrols, with Wu Jiong assigned to the second half of the night.
• Wu Jiong woke for his patrol, and Jian Mo asked to go with him on the giant wolf’s back.
• As they walked around camp, Jian Mo asked whether they had hunted nearby again, and Wu Jiong said the plentiful local prey made another day of hunting there worthwhile.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong went out before breakfast to gather mushrooms and bathe. They found one Giant Mushroom, then washed in a shallow stretch of river before heading back toward camp.

• After Wu Jiong finished his patrol, Jian Mo eagerly asked to go mushroom gathering, and they told Yun Long and Qing Kuo before setting out.
• Wu Jiong took Jian Mo to the spot where he had seen mushrooms, and Jian Mo found a huge Giant Mushroom growing beside a tree.
• Jian Mo pulled up the Giant Mushroom after Wu Jiong confirmed it was edible, then searched in vain for more.
• Wu Jiong took Jian Mo to a shallow upstream stretch of river, checked for danger, and helped him wash.
• As Jian Mo finished rinsing off, he spotted wild birds strolling along the riverbank.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong caught four meat-winged birds, which Jian Mo cooked with mushrooms for breakfast before the group prepared for the day's hunt. After the sub-beastmen finished drying salted meat, Jian Mo joined a gathering party along the river and found broadleaf garlic and other plants.

• Jian Mo spotted meat-winged birds by the river, and he and Wu Jiong caught four of them.
• Jian Mo poached the birds and made mushroom soup, and everyone ate breakfast together.
• The beastmen set out to hunt while the sub-beastmen sliced salted meat into strips to dry.
• Jian Mo drew a lot that let him join Qing Kuo, Ye Luo, and others on a gathering trip, while Min Dang stayed at camp.
• The gathering party followed the river, where Jian Mo collected tender broadleaf garlic and the others gathered greens and spices.

Jian Mo and the others tracked a Green Downy Insect to its nest and harvested part of it. Ye Luo explained that the nest’s mucus was used as a lubricant and was believed to help sub-beastmen conceive, leaving Jian Mo curious about how it worked.

• The group spotted a Green Downy Insect, and Jian Mo suggested marking it with down so they could follow it.
• A Red Zheng beastman contributed two leg hairs, which the group attached to the insect with resin.
• The group followed the marked insect to its burrow and dug up a large nest, carefully collecting half of it.
• Jian Mo asked Ye Luo about the nest’s mucus, and Ye Luo said it was boiled for use and was believed to help sub-beastmen conceive.
• Jian Mo wondered whether the mucus could make sperm more active.

Jian Mo realized the green velvet worms might have nearby nests and helped the Riverside Tribe and another tribe find four nests, which they divided evenly. Back at camp, he kept his share in a jar, and Wu Jiong recognized the green velvet worms by their scent.

• Jian Mo noticed the first green velvet worm nest looked newly built and suggested searching nearby for the worms’ former nest.
• The group agreed that Ya Zheng would use his sense of smell to investigate promising holes, and another group soon found a second nest.
• Qing Kuo told Jian Mo that past attempts to raise green velvet worms had failed, and he refused to answer Jian Mo’s question about whether the nests helped with conceiving cubs.
• Two other groups found nests, bringing the total to four; the tribes split them evenly before returning to camp.
• Jian Mo stored two pieces of nest in a covered jar, and Wu Jiong identified them as green velvet worms by scent.

Jian Mo used the bones from the hunted Horizontal-Horned Beasts to make marrow, while cooking a hearty dinner for the tribe. After the marrow simmered overnight, he tasted it the next morning and found it rich and savory.

• The beastmen returned with Horizontal-Horned Beasts, and Jian Mo treated two beastmen who had been injured while hunting.
• Jian Mo asked Wu Jiong to split open the discarded bones so he could collect their marrow.
• Jian Mo cooked dinner with offal, wild vegetables, and roasted meat, earning praise from the Mengshui Tribe.
• Wu Jiong chopped the bones, and Jian Mo and the others scooped out the marrow and simmered it in two pots overnight.
• Wild beasts drawn by the marrow's aroma approached the camp, and the patrolling beastmen killed them for breakfast.
• Jian Mo tasted the clear, simmered marrow in the morning and found it rich and savory.

Jian Mo used marrow oil and sour fruits to prepare hot pot for the Mengshui and Riverside Tribes, introducing them to a new way of cooking meat and vegetables. After everyone enjoyed the meal, the beastmen went hunting while the sub-beastmen gathered dried meat and cleaned camp.

• Jian Mo packed the rendered marrow into jars and shared marrow cracklings with everyone, including Jiujiu.
• Jian Mo proposed making sour-fruit hot pot, and Yun Long encouraged him to prepare it for both groups.
• Jian Mo cooked sour broth in eight pots and taught the 160 people how to cook meat, mushrooms, eggs, and vegetables in it.
• Wu Jiong picked the best meat for Jian Mo as everyone enjoyed the hot pot and discussed other broth flavors.
• The beastmen left to hunt, while the sub-beastmen gathered drying meat and cleaned the camp.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong returned from the hunt with plenty of meat, then spent the following days resting and preparing food. Jian Mo made a new ointment and hot pot base, and ended the chapter asking whether their world had crayfish.

• Jian Mo and the returning hunters arrived at the tribe after dark, where the cubs greeted their fathers and Jiujiu asked Jian Mo for cuddles.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong processed their meat, bathed in the river, and discussed the Ten Thousand Beasts Festival, which was six or seven days away.
• Jian Mo rested for two days, then made ointment from Green Downy Insect juice, animal fat, and herbs.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong spent the night together, and Wu Jiong confirmed Jian Mo's reproductive cavity had not developed enough for him to conceive.
• Jian Mo made hot pot base and asked Wu Jiong whether creatures like crayfish lived in their world.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong took the tribe’s young ones to the Green Marsh Source to explore and catch plank bugs. Jian Mo recognized a plank bug as a slipper lobster and urged Wu Jiong to catch more for a meal.

• Wu Jiong explained that plank bugs lived in the Green Marsh Source, and Jian Mo suggested visiting them the next day.
• Ban Ming, A Hu, and the others insisted on joining the trip, so Wu Jiong told them to bring the little ones too.
• The group set out for the Green Marsh Source, where Wu Jiong organized safety patrols and assigned adults to watch the little ones.
• Jian Mo teased Wu Jiong about looking handsome as chief, then went with him to search a muddy stream for plank bugs.
• Wu Jiong caught a plank bug, and Jian Mo recognized it as a slipper lobster and asked him to put it in the basket so they could find more.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong joined Ban Ming and the others in catching water plank bugs, then Jian Mo cooked the haul into a savory meal. The group enjoyed the food together in the courtyard.

• Jian Mo reassured Ban Ming and the others that he and Wu Jiong had caught water plank bugs, prompting everyone to laugh at his blunt reply.
• Wu Jiong sent Ban Ming and the others to bathe the muddy cubs while Jian Mo and Wu Jiong scrubbed the catch.
• Jian Mo invited the group to try water plank bugs, and Ban Ming and the others helped clean them.
• Jian Mo picked broadleaf garlic, prepared the ingredients, and stir-fried the water plank bug tails with spices, marrow oil, wine, and mushroom sauce.
• The teenagers, cubs, and Jiujiu ate the cooked tails, while Wu Jiong shelled some meat for Jian Mo.

Jian Mo joined the Riverside Tribe’s preparations for the Ten Thousand Beasts Festival, giving the cubs seasoning and then going with Fu Zhou and the others to bathe and groom themselves. As the festival approached, Qing Kuo urged him to let them trim his hair.

• Jian Mo brought seasoning powder to Jiang Xing and the other cubs, who thanked him before hurrying off to try it.
• Fu Zhou showed Jian Mo a basket of fragrant bath flowers, and Xi Lu invited him to bathe with them.
• Jian Mo learned that the group planned to prepare for the Ten Thousand Beasts Festival, while he and Wu Jiong would later go to the Ambus River for a date.
• Jian Mo went with the others to their usual bathing place and watched them wash, groom themselves, and apply flower dyes.
• Qing Kuo and the others arrived and urged Jian Mo to tidy himself up, suggesting they trim his hair.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong prepared for the Ten Thousand Beasts Festival, joined the bonfire party, and then spent a moonlit night together by the Ambus River. After returning home, they were met by Qi Xia and other beastmen, who awkwardly asked Jian Mo to examine a companion after a mishap involving moss.

• Qing Kuo trimmed Jian Mo's hair while Ye Luo tended his nails, and the group admired one another after getting dressed up.
• Jian Mo saw Wu Jiong's handsome appearance and joked that he no longer wanted to attend the bonfire party, but they went anyway.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong joined the bonfire gathering, then left after telling Hong Qiu and others they were going.
• Wu Jiong carried Jian Mo to the Ambus River, where they spent a long time together beneath the full moon before returning after midnight.
• Qi Xia and his companions waited outside Jian Mo's home and asked him to examine a beastman who had used moss in an embarrassing mishap.

After reopening his clinic, Jian Mo decided to visit the Mengshui Tribe to check on Xing Yuan and follow up on a patient whose numbness may have been caused by anesthetic ointment. He traveled there with Wu Jiong and was welcomed by Yun Long.

• Jian Mo told the Mengshui tribespeople to wait for the anesthetic to wear off and seek an examination if the problem continued, then laughed with Wu Jiong about their use of the moss.
• Jian Mo reopened his clinic after the Ten Thousand Beasts Festival and told Wu Jiong he wanted to visit the Mengshui Tribe to check on Xing Yuan.
• Zhou Fu and other sub-beastmen asked Jian Mo to trade for ointment, and he said he had learned to make some himself but needed time.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong traveled to the Mengshui Tribe, where Yun Long greeted them.
• Jian Mo told Yun Long he had come to see Xing Yuan and give him a follow-up examination.

Jian Mo checked Xing Yuan’s recovery and asked Qi Xia to pass on medical advice about a beastman’s condition. Before Jian Mo and Wu Jiong could leave, Shao Yuan asked him to examine his newly pregnant mate, Ning Wo, and Jian Mo heard the baby’s heartbeat.

• Jian Mo examined Xing Yuan and confirmed that he had recovered well.
• Jian Mo asked Qi Xia to tell the beastman whose lower body had been soaked in moss to watch for problems and seek treatment promptly.
• Shao Yuan introduced himself and asked Jian Mo to check on his pregnant mate, Ning Wo.
• Jian Mo examined Ning Wo at Yun Long’s home and heard the baby’s heartbeat with his stethoscope.

Jian Mo learned more about difficult births among sub-beastmen and proposed making obstetric forceps to help deliver babies safely. Qing Kuo agreed the tool might work, and Jian Mo planned to ask the tribe to make a pair for emergencies.

• Jian Mo examined Ning Wo and found him and the fetus appeared healthy, then advised him to rest and eat well.
• Jian Mo asked Wu Jiong about sub-beastman pregnancies and explained that obstetric forceps could help with difficult births.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong returned to the Riverside Tribe with Jiujiu, where Jian Mo found Qing Kuo cutting meat.
• Jian Mo asked Qing Kuo and the others about difficult births, learning that babies often died when they could not be delivered and that sub-beastmen could use their claws to save themselves.
• Jian Mo described obstetric forceps to Qing Kuo, who thought they might work and offered to have the tribe make a pair.

Jian Mo obtained forceps and other metal tools from the tribe, then secured permission to make paper using the tribe’s tanning pits. He and Wu Jiong prepared bark pulp, leaving the next step undecided.

• Jian Mo drew forceps based on Qing Kuo and Ye Luo’s descriptions of newborns, and De Jiang, Wu Jiong, and other skilled workers made several sizes of forceps and reforged his other tools.
• Jian Mo asked Qing Kuo to spread the word that pregnant sub-beastmen could seek his help without paying supplies.
• Qing Kuo told Jian Mo the tribe had decided he could choose whether to join group activities, and Jian Mo refused to accept supplies if he did not participate.
• Jian Mo asked to borrow the tribe’s tanning pits to make paper, and Qing Kuo gave him permission.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong gathered bark, chopped it, and pounded it into pulp; Wu Jiong asked whether they should soak it next.