Chapter Summaries

Jian Mo gathered the cubs and adults to make spicy strips, showing them how to prepare chili oil while they worked together on the rice dough. The chili oil turned out fragrant and mellow, and everyone tasted it as they prepared to finish the strips.

• Jian Mo agreed to make spicy strips the next day and invited Qiu Li, Banjiu, Qing Kuo, and the others to watch and help.
• The cubs arrived early, and Jian Mo sent them to gather scallions, ginger, garlic, and broadleaf grass.
• Jian Mo and the adults kneaded, rolled, and cut the rice dough while Jian Mo prepared chili oil.
• Jian Mo fried aromatics in animal fat and poured the hot oil over chili powder mixed with powdered sugar, fruit wine, and shellfish powder.
• Zhou Fu and the others tasted the chili oil and praised its fragrant, mellow flavor.

Jian Mo made latiao and shared it with the tribe, but Ye Luo later warned that their little ones were making children from other tribes carry them during games. Wu Jiong made the offenders take turns carrying one another, and by evening the little ones were crying under the burden.

• Jian Mo made chili-oil latiao, which the little ones and others enjoyed, and shared the extra food with the tribe.
• Ye Luo told Wu Jiong and Jian Mo that Riverside Tribe's little ones seemed to be bullying children from other tribes.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong found the little ones playing a game where children from other tribes carried the Riverside children in beast form.
• Jiang Xing and the others confessed they had persuaded the other children to carry them in exchange for latiao, insisting the deal had been agreed to.
• Wu Jiong ordered the Riverside children to carry their partners in human form for the day, and their parents let the punishment continue.
• By evening, Zhou Dao began crying, followed by the other little ones carrying their playmates.

Wu Jiong taught the little ones about bullying by explaining its consequences, while Jian Mo reflected on the tribe’s lessons and began compiling a textbook. Ji Xun visited Jian Mo for an examination and revealed that the unfamiliar beastman with him was the father of the cub in his belly.

• Wu Jiong explained that the little ones’ friends carried them for spicy strips rather than willingly, and warned that bullying could lead to serious fights as they grew older.
• Jian Mo praised Wu Jiong’s explanation and decided that teaching through consequences suited the local culture.
• The Riverside Tribe made its little ones apologize for bullying children from another tribe, and the incident prompted philosophical discussions in class.
• Jian Mo recorded the discussions and began compiling a textbook at home as the children and adults continued learning.
• Ji Xun arrived with an unfamiliar beastman, and Jian Mo examined him privately before Ji Xun identified him as the father of his unborn cub, a wandering beastman from elsewhere.

Ji Xun decided to have Mo A’s cub and move closer to the Riverside Tribe so the child could attend Jian Mo’s classes. With help from Jian Mo and people from several tribes, Ji Xun and Mo A built a new house and cleared land for their move.

• Jian Mo examined Ji Xun and confirmed that his cub was developing well, and Ji Xun said he would have the child.
• Ji Xun told Jian Mo that he and Mo A planned to move to the mountain north of the Forest Rock Tribe and asked if the cub could attend classes later; Jian Mo agreed and suggested they seek the Riverside Tribe’s approval.
• Jian Mo, Qing Kuo, Ye Luo, and others offered to help Ji Xun and Mo A move while the cub was still small.
• Ji Xun traded animal hides and honey for lime and cement from the Riverside Tribe to build a sturdier house.
• People from the Riverside Tribe and several other tribes helped Ji Xun and Mo A build their house and clear the surrounding land, finishing within a few days.

Mo A joined the Riverside Tribe’s teaching efforts and persuaded them to try outdoor lessons for the cubs. He led their first class at a marsh, teaching them about its dangers and wildlife while Jian Mo noticed Mo A’s panda-like beast form.

• Mo A offered to teach hunting techniques without payment and proposed taking the cubs outdoors for practical lessons.
• Wu Jiong and the other tribal representatives approved the new afternoon schedule and agreed to begin with a lesson on catching fish.
• The next day, the cubs and adults traveled to the marsh, where Jian Mo saw Mo A’s black-and-white, panda-like beast form.
• Mo A taught the cubs how to recognize dangerous marshes, get help if they fell in, and identify marsh plants and insects.

Mo A taught the cubs how to dig for long loaches, prepare them, and take them home, earning praise from Jian Mo and Wu Jiong for his patient teaching. After the cubs went home, Mo A agreed to consider teaching the adults how to teach, then hurried back to Ji Xun.

• Mo A showed the cubs how to find and dig up long loaches, and Xing Yuan found the first one.
• The cubs enthusiastically dug in the swamp while Jian Mo and Wu Jiong praised Mo A’s teaching.
• Mo A taught the cubs efficient digging techniques, how to prepare and preserve the loaches, and ways to cook them.
• The beastmen carried the cubs home, and Jian Mo and Wu Jiong told Mo A that the tribes’ teachers should learn from him.
• Mo A agreed to consider teaching the adults before transforming into a giant panda and running home to Ji Xun.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong returned home to find food left by the cubs’ families, then Jian Mo examined Di Ying’s sick River Fluff Beast. He suspected it had a urinary infection and agreed to treat it, leaving the beast in his care.

• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong returned to the tribe at midnight and found Jiujiu guiding them to bowls of cooked long loaches left by the cubs’ families.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong put the food away and went to bed, and Jian Mo got up the next morning to eat breakfast.
• Zhou Fu brought Di Ying from the Dianxin Tribe to see Jian Mo about his restless River Fluff Beast, which had stopped eating.
• Jian Mo examined the River Fluff Beast and suspected it was retaining urine because of an infection.
• Jian Mo offered to drain the beast’s urine and give it a medicinal decoction, and Di Ying left it with him for treatment.

Jian Mo treated Di Ying’s River Fluff Beast and taught him how to care for it at home. Di Ying later brought payment and gifts, and Jian Mo traded him a shawl; the chapter ended with Jian Mo asking about the herbs Di Ying had given him.

• Jian Mo drained the River Fluff Beast’s urine and showed Di Ying how to prepare a diuretic decoction.
• Di Ying’s River Fluff Beast urinated on its own, and Jian Mo advised him to continue the decoction for two more days.
• Jian Mo checked his own River Fluff Beast and found it healthy.
• Di Ying returned with cloth, a fur doll, and herbs said to benefit sub-beastmen; Jian Mo accepted the doll and herbs but insisted on giving Di Ying a shawl in exchange for the cloth.
• Jian Mo asked people in the Riverside Tribe about the herbs, and they confirmed the Dianxin Tribe variety was good for sub-beastmen.

Jian Mo tried an herb to help his development and endured a fever, aches, and extreme sleepiness, while the tribe’s sub-beastmen reassured him that his symptoms were normal. When Ban Ming reported that Brown Fart Beasts had returned, Wu Jiong organized a hunt and left Jian Mo at home to rest.

• Jian Mo drank a small amount of the herb and developed a slight fever, cramps, and aches, so Wu Jiong comforted him.
• Jian Mo spent days sleeping for long stretches as his development accelerated, and Qing Kuo and the other sub-beastmen reassured him that his symptoms were normal.
• Wu Jiong hunted frequently and brought Jian Mo different prey so he could get enough nourishment.
• Ban Ming told Jian Mo and Wu Jiong that a herd of Brown Fart Beasts had returned near the tribe.
• Wu Jiong told Ban Ming to gather interested hunters, then left for the clearing while Jian Mo stayed home to sleep.

Wu Jiong led the tribe’s beastmen on a successful day of hunting Brown Fart Beasts, killing far more than usual. When they returned, Qing Kuo told them that some of the beasts they had brought back were still alive, leaving the tribe to decide what to do with them.

• Wu Jiong led the beastmen in splitting the herd into groups and hunting the Brown Fart Beasts.
• Wu Jiong killed several beasts in quick succession, astonishing Ban Ming and the others with his hunting skill.
• Wu Jiong led the beastmen through two more hunts, and Di Ya noted that De Jiang had caught the second-most prey.
• The beastmen returned to the tribe with a large haul of Brown Fart Beasts.
• Qing Kuo told Di Ya and the others that some of the Brown Fart Beasts were still alive, and Di Ying questioned how they had survived their bites.

The Riverside Tribe divided the hunted Brown Fart Beasts, with some members choosing to raise them and others taking meat. Jian Mo noticed the growing differences between households, and at dinner he saw that Wu Jiong barely ate after a couple of bites.

• Qing Kuo proposed healing the wounded Brown Fart Beasts so the tribe could raise them for fresh meat, and Jian Mo said their wounds should be treatable.
• The tribe debated where to keep the beasts, then Wu Jiong suggested dividing them between households that wanted to raise them and those that preferred meat.
• De Jiang and Qing Kuo allocated the beasts and meat according to each household’s contributions, and Jian Mo reflected on the growing differences in household wealth.
• Jian Mo and Wu Jiong decided to build a separate pen for their Brown Fart Beasts rather than risk crowding them into the Pack-Pack Beasts’ shed.
• Jian Mo stewed their share of the meat, but at mealtime he noticed Wu Jiong had eaten only two pieces.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong prepared to keep the captured Brown Fart Beasts by building a secure pen, while nearby tribes discussed the benefits and drawbacks of penned animals. Jian Mo suggested that a beast’s diet could affect the flavor of its meat.

• Wu Jiong complained that his teeth were sore after biting beasts, so Jian Mo checked them and cooked him soft noodles.
• Jian Mo worried the injured Brown Fart Beasts might escape, but Wu Jiong reassured him that they were tied up and watched by Jiujiu and Ying'ao.
• Wu Jiong returned with enormous beasts who helped carry and plant the wood, and the group built a large beast pen before moving the Brown Fart Beasts inside.
• Wu Jiong went to help other households build pens while Jian Mo made cake and planned to prepare tofu later.
• People from nearby tribes discussed how penned beasts grew thin and sometimes tasted better, and Jian Mo suggested their food could affect the flavor of their meat.

Jian Mo described animal-breeding techniques to the tribe members before intervening when a loose Brown Fart Beast chased the cubs. He wounded it with his newly extendable claws, then fled home when Qing Kuo tried to inspect whether his tail had grown in.

• Jian Mo explained castration, tail docking, and force-feeding as animal-breeding techniques, startling the listeners.
• Jian Mo found Bai Lu trapped on a wall while a Brown Fart Beast threatened him.
• Jian Mo dodged the charging beast and slashed its face and neck with his sharp claws.
• Qing Kuo checked Jian Mo's claws and asked about his tail, but Jian Mo covered his butt and ran home.

Jian Mo's cat tail emerged and proved too sensitive to retract until after dinner, while his beast ears remained drooped. The next day, he and Wu Jiong visited Ji Xun and Mo A on the mountain, where Ji Xun offered them some newly made tea.

• Jian Mo told Wu Jiong that his tail had appeared when he showed his claws, and Wu Jiong examined the small, delicate tail.
• Jian Mo stayed home while his tail recovered, and Wu Jiong gathered vegetables and grass; after dinner, Jian Mo retracted his tail, though his ears remained visible.
• Jian Mo rested in bed the next morning, then agreed to go out with Wu Jiong and suggested visiting Ji Xun and Mo A.
• Wu Jiong carried Jian Mo up the mountain in his beast form, where they found Mo A holding wood steady while Ji Xun sawed it.
• Ji Xun welcomed Jian Mo and Wu Jiong inside and served them tea made from leaves he had recently discovered.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong visited Ji Xun and Mo A, then joined them in the mountains to gather ripe grinning fruits. Mo A shook fruit from a tall tree while Jian Mo praised him and Wu Jiong, who offered to climb up and help.

• Jian Mo examined Ji Xun and advised him to keep snacks handy because he was hungry often while carrying a cub.
• Ji Xun invited Jian Mo and Wu Jiong to gather ripe grinning fruits with him and Mo A.
• The four traveled into the Mount Ambus Range, where Mo A led them to a huge grinning fruit tree.
• Mo A transformed into a giant panda, climbed the tree, and shook its crown until grinning fruits fell to the ground.
• Jian Mo praised Mo A and then praised Wu Jiong, and Wu Jiong offered to climb up and help.
• Jian Mo stopped Wu Jiong, worried about him climbing the tree.

Jian Mo, Wu Jiong, Ji Xun, and Mo A harvested and prepared grin fruit, and Ji Xun invited Jian Mo and Wu Jiong to try his homemade nut butter. After Mo A began roasting the nuts, Ji Xun brought Jian Mo to clean the stone mill so they could grind them.

• Jian Mo and the others gathered ripe grin fruit beneath the tree and sorted it into their baskets.
• Jian Mo suggested making a reusable cloth sheet to catch fruit shaken from trees, and Ji Xun agreed it would make harvesting easier.
• Ji Xun led the group to wash the grin fruit in the river, where they removed damaged nuts and poked holes in the shells.
• Ji Xun invited Jian Mo and Wu Jiong home to try his sweet, smooth nut butter, which he had made to help with hunger during pregnancy.
• Mo A began roasting the grin fruit, while Ji Xun took Jian Mo to clean the stone mill for grinding the nuts.

Ji Xun taught Jian Mo and his companions to make smooth nut butter and biscuits, and Jian Mo later baked biscuits for his household and the Riverside Tribe. When Ji Xun and Mo A visited, Jian Mo showed them a richer nut butter made with animal-milk butter, which they tasted before cooking it.

• Ji Xun ground roasted grinning fruit kernels with yellow-flower tree nut oil, simmered the paste with sugar, and served the nut butter with freshly baked biscuits.
• Jian Mo praised the food and arranged for Ji Xun and Mo A to visit his home after Mo A's class.
• Jian Mo baked biscuits at home, fed them to Jiujiu and Ying'ao, and shared them with the tribe's little ones.
• Ji Xun and Mo A visited Jian Mo, who showed them nut butter made with butter extracted from animal milk.
• Ji Xun and Mo A tasted the uncooked nut butter and liked its sweet, rich flavor as Jian Mo prepared to cook it.

Jian Mo prepared improved nut butter and biscuits with Ji Xun and Mo A, but their relaxed gathering ended when an orc from the Haizuo Tribe arrived with severe abdominal pain. Unable to identify or treat the cause, Jian Mo warned that surgery could be fatal, leaving the visitors uncertain about what to do.

• Jian Mo cooked nut butter with salt and sour fruit juice, then baked biscuits with Ji Xun and Mo A.
• A young cub told Jian Mo that someone with a stomachache had been brought to the clinic, so Jian Mo fetched his medical kit and hurried over.
• The Haizuo Tribe members told Jian Mo that the orc had suffered abdominal pain for three days and had worsened during the journey.
• Jian Mo examined the orc, suspected a liver or gallbladder problem, and gave him pain-relieving leaves but could not determine the cause.
• Jian Mo warned the Haizuo Tribe members that exploratory surgery could kill the patient and suggested consulting another witch doctor.
• The Haizuo Tribe members discussed whether to seek further help, while Xi Lu comforted Jian Mo as Riverside Tribe members arrived.

Jian Mo struggled to help Fen Hui, a gravely ill beastman from the Haizuo Tribe, and arranged for him to remain at the clinic while they searched for another witch doctor. The Cypress Branch Tribe found word of a highly skilled old witch doctor in the distant Stored Star Tribe, and Fen Hui asked whether that doctor could cure him.

• Jian Mo judged Fen Hui too weak for an operation, prescribed medicine, and warned the Haizuo Tribe not to seek treatment from Lian Ke.
• Wu Jiong comforted Jian Mo as people from nearby tribes searched unsuccessfully for a reliable witch doctor.
• Fen Hui's condition stabilized somewhat, and the Haizuo Tribe asked Jian Mo to let him stay at the clinic for treatment.
• Wan Zheng and other Cypress Branch Tribe beastmen told Jian Mo about an old, reputedly skilled witch doctor in the Stored Star Tribe to the southeast.
• Jian Mo brought the Cypress Branch Tribe beastmen to Fen Hui and asked whether he wanted to travel to the Stored Star Tribe; Fen Hui asked if the doctor could cure him.

Jian Mo struggled with Fen Hui’s hopeless illness, but Jiujiu lifted his spirits with a flight over the land. Afterward, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong agreed to take Fen Hui to the Stored Star Tribe for treatment.

• Fen Hui doubted that the Stored Star Tribe could help him and feared dying during the journey, while Jian Mo urged him not to give up.
• Jiujiu sensed Jian Mo’s sadness, carried him into the sky, and flew with him above the tribe and surrounding lands.
• After they landed, Jian Mo told Wu Jiong he wanted to take Fen Hui to the Stored Star Tribe, and Wu Jiong agreed to go with him.
• Jian Mo suggested Jiujiu carry Fen Hui because he could not endure the journey on foot, and Wu Jiong offered to carry him himself.