First Meeting with the Teng Snake Beastman: Ling

Feng Rumeng's mind screamed at her to run, but the memory of suffocating in the giant python's coils in the forest had turned her legs to jelly.

Move, move! Why won't my body listen? Move! The giant snake was awakened by her trembling voice. It opened its purple slit-pupiled eyes, raised its head slightly, and turned to fix its gaze on her.

Am I about to be eaten? I heard snakes swallow their prey alive. She wanted to cry for help. Didn't Jianyue say there were no wild beasts in the tribe's safe territory? Oh, heavens, I'll have to check the almanac before going out from now on—if there is a next time...

"Get off me!" A magnetic voice entered her ears.

Huh? Feng Rumeng turned her head stiffly and watched the giant snake flick its forked tongue. "Y-you're a beastman?"

"Get off." The giant snake's voice was cold.

Feng Rumeng went limp and sprawled on top of the giant snake. If he was a beastman, things were easier; at least they could talk, although she was still terrified. "Um, please be magnanimous and give me a moment to recover, all right?"

Ling looked at Feng Rumeng irritably. "If you don't get up, I'll eat you!"

"I'm ugly and stringy, all bones and no meat. I won't taste good, and I'll hurt your teeth."

A shadow crossed Ling's slit pupils, and his voice grew colder. "Scram~"

A chill ran down Feng Rumeng's spine. She forced herself to lift her knee. Come on, don't fail me now! Surely there weren't many people who weren't afraid of snakes. In the end, she forced herself to her feet and stepped over his thick serpentine body.

She saw that the snake beast was injured. His tail had been torn in two, and the other wounds on his body were just as horrifying, a mangled mess of blood and flesh.

In books, snake beastmen were always described as cold-blooded beastmen whom females disliked.

This was the Fierce Tiger Tribe's territory. Why hadn't this snake been driven away?

Trembling, Feng Rumeng picked up the two fish farther from the snake beast, then glanced at his wounds and tossed the other two beside his head.

"These two are for you. Heal up and go back to your tribe soon."

With that, Feng Rumeng headed toward the tribe, her heart still lingering in fear.

Ling looked at the waggle beasts by his mouth, then at the frail figure ahead. His injuries were too severe for him to change forms, and he couldn't move. If he didn't eat, he couldn't recover. At worst, he would simply pay her back double later.

By the time she returned to the tribe, the mate-seeking gathering was already over. A dozen or so beastmen remained in the square, and when they saw Feng Rumeng approaching, they ran as if they had seen a ghost, each faster than the last.

Before long, only Lina and her three males remained in the open space.

Lina made no attempt to hide the contempt in her eyes. "Look at you. That ugly face of yours scared the males into running faster than they would from a ferocious beast."

Feng Rumeng ignored her and carried the fish toward her cave.

"Did I say you could leave?" Lina blocked her path and knocked the fish from her hand. Her three males also wore fierce looks.

Feng Rumeng took in the scene. Do they think I'm easy to bully because I have no one to back me up?

She suppressed the urge to beat Lina up. If she really did start a fight, she would be driven out of the tribe for sure. The tiger males looked down on her.

She was of no use to the tiger tribe. Driving her away would cost the tribe nothing and save them her share of food besides.

For now, she still needed the tribe's protection, but if she put up with it this once, there would be a second time and a third.

Feng Rumeng stepped forward until she was almost pressed against Lina. "What, you want a fight? I may be skinny, but I'm not afraid of you. Believe it or not, I'll drag you down with me."

Lina looked at her fierce glare and burst into a wildly exaggerated laugh. "Ugly female, you think you can drag me down with you? What kind of daydream are you having?"

That didn't work either? Feng Rumeng didn't actually want things between her and Lina to turn as bitter as they were between enemies.

But Lina was plainly the sort who bullied the weak and feared the strong, who would climb onto your face if you gave her an inch.

Feng Rumeng gave her a provocative look and quietly took a sharp branch from her space. "Even if I can't kill you, I'll still strip a layer of skin off you. Didn't you say I'm ugly?

"Then I'll slash your face and make you even uglier than me, so you'll regret crossing me every day from now on." She made as if to slash Lina's face.

Lina took a frightened step back and covered her face. "You stinking female, don't you dare."

"Just watch me." Feng Rumeng stepped closer, but before she could raise her hand, Lina's first beast husband, Hu Yang, stopped her. "Female, if you dare hurt her, I won't let you off."

"If you dare lay a hand on me, I'll scream," Feng Rumeng said with a soft chuckle. "We'll let the chieftain judge and see which of us gets driven out of the tribe first."

"You..." Hu Yang's expression darkened.

Feng Rumeng bent down to pick up the fish, a smug look on her face. "My life's already come to this. What have I got left to care about? Cross me, and we'll die together."

As she left, she deliberately bumped into Lina.

Lina's face flushed red with anger. "What are you so pleased about? Without a male, let's see how you survive this cold season."

"No need for you to worry about that. If I die, it's not as if you'll have to put up a headstone for me," Feng Rumeng said without looking back.

Lina gritted her teeth but said nothing and left with her three males. She didn't want that ugly female ruining the good mood she was in over taking mates.

Inside the cave, Feng Rumeng took a soup pot out of her space and rinsed the fish thoroughly once more.

She found a few stones and made a simple stove, set the pot on it, lit a fire, and boiled some water. Once it came to a boil, she sliced the fish and put the pieces in the pot.

Only after the fish slices were cooked did she remember that her space had everything except seasonings. After rummaging around for a while, she took out the instant noodle seasoning packets she had saved and sprinkled them into the pot.

She gave it a stir with a spoon, and the aroma of fish flavored with spicy instant noodles rose from the pot.

Beastmen had keen senses of smell. Quite a few came out of their caves after catching the aroma and followed it to its source. When they discovered it was Feng Rumeng,

"This female's so ugly that no male wants her, so she's using food to lure them in. How shameless."

Feng Rumeng couldn't be bothered with them. After eating her fill with relish, she put the pot and bowl into her space, took out a cutting board, bananas, and large leaves, and got to work.

She peeled the bananas, cut them into thin slices, and laid them on the leaves in direct sunlight. She didn't throw away the peels either, but spread them out to dry and saved them for kindling in the depths of winter.

Toward evening, Hu Yu came by with a small piece of roasted meat. "Rumeng, this is for you."

Rumeng put the meat on a leaf. "Thank you, Hu Yu."

Hu Yu waved a hand. "No need to be so polite. I came by the cave at noon but couldn't find you. I only learned from Jianyue that you'd gone looking for yellow-yellow fruit."

He looked at the yellow-yellow fruit sliced and spread thickly in front of the cave. "Rumeng, what are you doing?"

"I'm drying them so I can stave off hunger when there's no food in the cold season." Feng Rumeng picked up a leaf by its edges.

"No beastman likes eating this. That fruit is extremely... Let me help you." Hu Yu followed her example and carried the leaves into the cave.

"I'm not picky. I eat anything," Feng Rumeng said with a smile.

Hu Yu asked cautiously, "Rumeng, have you been wandering for a long time?"

Feng Rumeng smiled bitterly. "I don't remember. I still haven't recalled anything from before."

"I see." Hu Yu carried the last leaf into the cave and set it down. "Rumeng, go on and eat the meat. I need to get back to my cave. If you need help with anything, come find me."

"Mm," Feng Rumeng answered softly and lightly.

After Hu Yu left, she looked out at the darkening sky. She still didn't like it here and didn't feel safe at all. She wanted so badly to go home.

As she thought about it, her nose prickled, and tears fell uncontrollably.