Bye-bye, You Two

Hu Feng held Jianyue in his arms. "I asked him. Hu Yun said he didn't want to take a mate yet."

Jianyue leaned against him and said nothing more.

Deep in his blue eyes, where Jianyue couldn't see, a chill seeped out.

In the forest, Feng Rumeng reached the trap. It had been damaged, and there was no prey inside. There were hoofprints beside it; the prey must have escaped.

She didn't give up. She fixed the trap and decided to try her luck in the woods.

She had only taken a few steps when two beastmen jumped down from a tree and blocked her path.

The male in the black animal-skin skirt licked his lips. "A little ugly, but she's a female, at least."

The male in the brown animal-skin skirt looked at her with disdain. "Lucky you. I'll keep watch for you."

Feng Rumeng looked at their waists. Each had an animal-skin pouch hanging there, bigger than her palm. Her luck wasn't bad after all. Her lips curled up, and her voice turned exceptionally sweet: "Big brothers, how many Beast Crystals are in those pouches?"

The two males burst out laughing.

A lustful gleam appeared in the eyes of the beastman in the black animal-skin skirt. "Little sister, come into big brother's arms, and I'll show you."

The male in the brown animal-skin skirt scoffed. "Ugly and greedy."

Feng Rumeng looked at the two beastmen. Hu Yu was fourth rank, and these two didn't have her presence. They were probably third or second rank.

This was Fierce Tiger Tribe territory. They surely wouldn't dare get too close to the tribe, so as long as she ran before they shifted into beast form, she would be fine.

Feng Rumeng took the initiative and walked up to the male in the black animal-skin skirt, her voice dripping honey. "Big brother." She rested her hand on the pouch at his waist.

That "big brother" had the male so enchanted his heart melted, and he didn't even stop Feng Rumeng from touching his pouch.

Grinning, the male reached out to embrace her. Feng Rumeng yanked the pouch free and spun around, bringing her in front of the male in the brown animal-skin skirt.

There was a tug at his waist, and his pouch was snatched away too.

Before two pairs of stunned eyes,

Feng Rumeng shot out her nanowire and climbed a giant tree. Looking back, she gave them a sweet smile. "Bye-bye, you two."

The two exchanged a glance. "We've been played."

In an instant, a black wolf and a brown bear appeared in the forest. Roaring, they raced through the trees.

Feng Rumeng twisted and turned through the forest. The two couldn't climb trees in beast form, and climbing in human form was too slow. They howled anxiously below.

"Fuck! I actually got played by an ugly female!" The black wolf dug at the ground with his forepaws.

"This is all your fault! Do you know how many fucking Beast Crystals I had in there? I saved them for three months!"

Suddenly, a deep tiger roar rang out, frightening the two beasts into fleeing deeper into the forest.

Feng Rumeng traveled through the woods for a while longer, then stopped beneath a cotton tree.

Before she had even begun picking, Hu Feng, Batu, and Yin Feng appeared behind her.

Looking at the three white tigers, who towered over her, Feng Rumeng took an involuntary step back.

They shifted into human form, and Batu looked her up and down. "Female Rumeng, are you all right?"

Feng Rumeng's almond-shaped eyes swept over the three of them. "I'm fine."

Yin Feng lifted his eyes to the white covering the tree. "You want some white fluff?"

White fluff? Feng Rumeng looked up at the tree too. "Could you help me? I only need a few!"

"No problem. I'll pick some to take back to my female too." Yin Feng leaped into the tree.

Is this the strength of a fourth-rank beastman? Feng Rumeng watched Yin Feng. So females in the beast world used this during their periods too.

After Yin Feng picked the cotton, he told Feng Rumeng to take as much as she wanted. She could pick it herself, so she took only four pieces as a token.

Each piece was bigger than Feng Rumeng's head. She rubbed her cheek against one. So soft! "Thank you, Yin Feng."

"You're welcome, little female." Yin Feng shifted into beast form and curled the tip of his tail around the white fluff.

Hu Feng glanced at Feng Rumeng. "Are you going back to the tribe?"

"I still need to gather dead branches. You go back first." Feng Rumeng lowered her eyes to the cotton in her arms.

Hu Feng nodded, then shifted into beast form and left with Batu.

After they left, Feng Rumeng stuffed the pieces of cotton into her space and picked a lot more herself. Now that she had cotton, she could make underwear, padded clothes, quilts...

Besides, once winter came and the cotton was covered in snow, it would be ruined.

On her way back, she picked several more leaf buckets and filled them all with water. She took out the animal skins and washed and tanned them. By the time she finished tanning them, it was already afternoon.

She wasn't planning to come to the forest tomorrow, so she caught some extra fish. She pulled a long string of them on a vine, at least twenty in all, leaving her huffing and puffing.

She tossed the fish in front of the venomous snake's mouth. "Venomous snake, make these last. I'm not coming to the forest tomorrow."

Ling still said nothing and merely lowered his head to eat the fish.

When Feng Rumeng returned to the tribe, she spotted Batu standing at her cave entrance from a distance. "Did Jianyue send you?"

"Mm, I came to help keep an eye on your dried meat." Batu handed her the roasted meat he was holding and pointed at the dried meat on the ground. "Female Rumeng, what did you put on this? The flavor is so unusual."

Feng Rumeng gave him a few strips and spouted nonsense with a perfectly serious face. "I marinated it in the juice of some plants."

Batu took a bite, and his eyes went wide. "This dried meat is biting my tongue!" He stuck out his tongue and sucked in air in quick gasps.

Feng Rumeng pulled a few banana chips from her pocket. "Quick, eat these. They'll help." She hadn't expected beastmen to be unable to handle even this mild a spice.

Batu crunched the banana chips. "That's much better. What was that you gave me? It's sweet. Do you have any more? I'd like to trade for some to take back to Jianyue."

"I do. Wait a moment, Batu. I'll go get some from the cave." Feng Rumeng opened the door and went inside as she spoke. Before long, she gave Batu some banana chips wrapped in leaves.

Batu took out a gray crystal, but she didn't accept it. "You don't have to be so polite, Batu. You've helped me a lot, so I won't take a Beast Crystal this time."

Batu insisted on giving her the Beast Crystal. "Female Rumeng, a male can't take a female's food for nothing. Otherwise, Jianyue will scold me."

"All right, then!" Feng Rumeng tucked the crystal into her pocket. "Do you want to take some of this spicy dried meat back to Jianyue?"

Batu hastily refused. "No. If Jianyue cries from being bitten, Hu Feng will beat me up."

"I understand," Feng Rumeng said. "Then whenever you want some, come get it from me!"

"All right." Batu walked away with a spring in his step.

Feng Rumeng crouched down and gathered the dried meat, placing it on a shelf in her space. She went into the cave, took out the tanned animal skins and drying rack, and spread the skins out in an airy spot by the entrance.

That night, Feng Rumeng lay on her stomach under the covers and examined her spoils. There were forty-two Beast Crystals in all, mostly second-rank gray crystals, along with one fifth-rank green crystal and five third-rank yellow crystals. The rest were all first-rank white crystals.

"Not bad." They were enough to keep her fed for a while. She grinned foolishly, then slept without dreaming.

On the day they were going to the market, Feng Rumeng got up at first light to wash and eat. She put away the animal skins and drying rack, closed the cave door, and sat outside with her basket on her back to wait for Jianyue.

There were an unusual number of beastmen out and about in the square today. Were they all going to the market?

Resting her chin in her hand, Feng Rumeng watched several males turn into large tigers and lower their forelegs to let their females climb on. A beauty-and-the-beast scene like this was free, and she was happy to watch.

When Jianyue and several of her mates appeared, Feng Rumeng walked over.

Lina, Qingqing, and several other females saw Meng and gave disdainful snorts.

"Rumeng." Jianyue seemed to be in a good mood. "Let Batu carry you."

Batu nodded and turned into a giant silver tiger. He lowered his body. "Female Rumeng, climb on."

"Okay." Feng Rumeng walked over and climbed onto the tiger's back. Heavens, his fur felt so smooth.

"Jianyue, what's going on with you? You're actually letting your beast husband carry another female, and this ugly one at that," Hu Yue said sarcastically.