Chapter Summaries

Jian Mo learned that Lian Ke’s ointment had only exposed a claw that had already grown and that there was no special cure for Sub-beastman Dysplasia. After Lian Ke left, Jian Mo treated his injured finger, and Wu Jiong prepared to help him gather Kunzhi Tree sap.

• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong visited Lian Ke, who examined Jian Mo’s swollen finger and admitted the medicine had not made the claw grow.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong confronted Lian Ke, who explained that Jian Mo had Sub-beastman Dysplasia and would develop slowly with good food, but had no special treatment.
• Wu Jiong identified Kunzhi Tree sap in Lian Ke’s ointment, and Lian Ke left the tribe in embarrassment.
• Jian Mo gathered herbs, made a soothing paste, and bandaged his injured finger.
• Wu Jiong agreed to gather Kunzhi Tree sap with Jian Mo and collected containers and a bucket for the trip.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong ventured into a primeval forest to collect sap from Kunzhi Trees, gathering it in wooden tubes throughout the day. After resting and collecting the tubes, they had more than half a tube of sap in each one.

• Wu Jiong transformed into a giant wolf and carried Jian Mo south to a vast primeval forest.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong entered the forest and found a Kunzhi Tree, where Wu Jiong showed him how to collect its sap in wooden tubes.
• Jian Mo accidentally got sap on his hand and peeled off the hardened film, then shared a memory with Wu Jiong.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong collected sap from several Kunzhi Trees until they ran out of wooden tubes, then stopped for lunch.
• Wu Jiong carried Jian Mo while he napped, and they later returned to collect the tubes and gathered more than half a tube of sap in each.

Jian Mo prepared an ointment from Kunzhi Tree sap and agreed to join the tribe’s trip to the Ambus River. The group reached the seasonal river and began organizing to catch Ambus Fish.

• Jian Mo boiled the sap until it became a thick, black ointment and tested it on his injured finger.
• Qing Kuo told Jian Mo that the Ambus River had begun flowing again, and Jian Mo agreed to go there with the tribe.
• On the journey, Ye Luo explained that the Ambus River flowed from Mount Ambus toward the Forest Rock Tribe’s territory.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong reached the river with the group and admired its scenery.
• The tribe members spread out in groups to catch Ambus Fish, which Zhou Fu said were especially delicious.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong went fishing for Ambus Fish, with Wu Jiong catching many while Jian Mo struggled to keep up with the quick fish. After returning to the tribe, Wu Jiong began stewing the catch with cured pork, leaving Jian Mo and Jiujiu waiting eagerly for the meal.

• Jian Mo joined Wu Jiong and the tribe members in the cold Ambus River to catch fish.
• Wu Jiong showed Jian Mo how to spot Ambus Fish through the water, but Jian Mo failed to catch any while Wu Jiong filled half a basket.
• The group teased Wu Jiong for catching extra fish for his mate, and he calmly said he wanted tasty fish for Jian Mo.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong returned to the tribe, handed over part of their catch, and kept plenty for themselves.
• Wu Jiong cleaned the Ambus Fish and fed their heads, tails, and innards to Jiujiu.
• Wu Jiong fried cured pork, added the fish and spring water, and began stewing them in a rich, fragrant broth.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong cooked a delicious fish stew and planned another fishing trip with Jiujiu. While fishing downstream, Jian Mo learned from Ban Ming and Qing Kuo that three-eyed fish gallbladders were a reliable remedy for fever, and suggested the tribe keep some in reserve.

• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong simmered fish with cured meat and sinew grass, then enjoyed the meal and saved Jiujiu its own portion.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong decided to fish again the next day and take Jiujiu along to help carry their gear.
• The next day, Jian Mo, Wu Jiong, and Jiujiu joined the tribe downstream to catch fish, though Jian Mo caught only one and Jiujiu caught none.
• Ban Ming told Jian Mo that three-eyed fish gallbladders reliably brought down fevers, and Qing Kuo confirmed the remedy had never failed.
• Jian Mo suggested that the tribe keep some three-eyed fish gallbladders on hand.

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.