Chapter 214: Little Tiger’s Roar in the Beast World – 3

Although Xie Hui was soaking and resting, he kept an eye on Sheng. Seeing Sheng’s drooping head and somewhat dejected look, Xie Hui casually scooped a fish out of the water with his paw.

Most adult beastmen in the tribe don’t eat outside of regular meal times, but this rule doesn’t apply to the young ones. Little Tiger floated on the water’s surface, holding the still-flopping fish in his mouth, and struggled to tear at the fish meat.

Most feline creatures dislike bathing, so when they are in the water, they end up getting cleaned thoroughly.

As the night cooled down, Xie Hui took the sleeping Little Tiger back to the cave.

The animal hides provided good insulation, but for Little Tiger, who feared the heat, he avoided them in such warm weather.

Xie Hui placed Sheng on the hides, and just as he turned to lie down, he saw Little Tiger, already asleep, staggering with closed eyes. He wobbled to the other side of the cave and plopped down on the cool stones.

The next day, since Xie Hui didn’t need to hunt, he took Sheng for a careful inspection around the tribe.

With his large size, Xie Hui’s one step required Sheng to take several to keep up. Sheng’s little legs moved swiftly over the soft grass.

Following the memories of the Client, Xie Hui first checked the protective measures outside the tribe, then visited the elderly beastmen within.

The old beastmen adored the young ones, especially lively ones like Sheng. Xie Hui left Sheng to play with them for a while, ensuring their well-being before taking Little Tiger away.

On the way to see the Priest, Sheng spotted the young leopard he had fought with before, and his pace slowed immediately.

Noticing this, Xie Hui glanced at the young leopard and nudged his son towards it, reminding him, “No fighting.”

“Roar~”

The young leopard and Little Tiger headed to a corner of the tribe where there were many small prey. Adult beastmen disdained catching such small creatures, but they were perfect for young ones to practice their hunting skills, like the little rabbit Sheng caught last time.

The cave where the Priest lived was the best spot in the entire tribe. When Xie Hui entered, the Priest was drying some herbs.

The Priest could predict weather changes and heal injured beastmen, holding a higher status in the tribe than Xie Hui, the Tribe Leader.

“High Priest.”

Xie Hui greeted her upon entering. The High Priest was a female beastman, quite advanced in age.

“Tribe Leader.”

The Priest put down the herbs she was drying. Xie Hui glanced at them and was surprised to find they were indeed useful, capable of stopping bleeding and aiding wound healing.

Based on the Client’s memories, Xie Hui had assumed they were just weeds. The survival of the beastmen relied on their robust physiques, often attributed to the blessing of the Beast God, a common saying in the tribe.

“Tribe Leader, is there something wrong with these herbs?”

Xie Hui shook his head gently and followed the Priest into the cave.

“Priest, last night, I seemed to have a vision of the Beast God.”

The heroine Xue arrived in this world in Sheng’s second year of adulthood, and according to the Client’s memories, this winter would be unusually cold, with many beastmen not surviving, including the High Priest standing before him.

“What?”

The aged Priest quickly raised her head, eyes filled with urgency, instinctively asking, “Did the Beast God have any instructions?”

The beastmen in the tribe couldn’t accurately distinguish between dreams and reality, sometimes mistaking dream scenes for encounters with the Beast God.

After some thought, Xie Hui decided that completing this task would be easiest by speaking through the Beast God’s voice.

“The Beast God said this year’s snow season will be colder than the previous years.”

This news added a look of concern to the Priest’s face, as cold was not a welcome prospect for them.

“The Beast God also said that many beastmen will perish this snow season. To protect his people, he specifically taught me some things to help us through the hardship.”

Xie Hui’s words made the High Priest breathe a sigh of relief. She hurried out of the cave, placed her right hand on her left shoulder, and bowed slightly towards the sun, sincerely saying, “Beast God bless us.”

Xie Hui explained to the High Priest about edible plants besides meat and methods like drying and salting to preserve food.

As he spoke, the High Priest listened intently, her eyes showing a hint of amazement.

In the tribe, beastmen usually gathered most during meat distribution. Today, fewer people went hunting than when Xie Hui personally led the hunt yesterday, resulting in less prey and smaller portions for each beastman.

While Xie Hui was distributing meat, the High Priest, holding a wooden staff, emerged.

Since the High Priest had aged, she seldom appeared. Luo was the first to notice her and nodded in her direction.

“High Priest.”

The title prompted many beastmen to instinctively turn their heads and respond in unison:

“High Priest.”

The Priest stood on a higher platform and raised her voice:

“Last night, the Tribe Leader had a vision of the Beast God.”

As the Priest spoke, Xie Hui instinctively glanced over. Although the Priest’s voice wasn’t particularly loud from the high platform, Xie Hui heard it with exceptional clarity. While it was partly due to the keen hearing of animals, Xie Hui sensed there might be something more to it.

Apart from Xie Hui, who was busy distributing food, all the other beastmen knelt in the direction of the Priest. Even the mischievous cubs were made to bow by the beastmen beside them. Especially Sheng, who was particularly unruly. Initially, Luo just held him in place, but eventually had to firmly press his head down.

With his head buried in the grass, Sheng clawed at the dirt with all his might, but failed to lift his head. Frustrated, he gave up and lay there, whimpering.

After the High Priest finished speaking, she selected a few of the strongest beastmen.

“At sunrise tomorrow, you will follow the Tribe Leader westward. According to the guidance of the Beast God, there lies a vast ocean.”

“Beside the ocean, another tribe of beastmen resides. We will trade animal pelts with them for something called sea salt.”

“Meat preserved with sea salt can be dried and stored for a long time, helping us survive the long winter.”

During winter, food is scarce and must be prioritized for the hunting beastmen. Every winter, many Elderly Beastmen refuse to eat, leaving the hope of survival to others.

“If you encounter those green plants with sharp leaves that can cut, bring them back for the Tribe Leader to see.”

After assigning tasks, the Priest instructed another group of newly adult beastmen to catch fish in the nearby river.

“Priest, those fish are so small, they’re not even enough to fill the gaps between our teeth. Why bother catching them?”

Sheng, whose head had been pressed into the grass, finally lifted it and let out a couple of howls.

His youthful voice provided the best answer before the Priest could respond. For adult beastmen, the small fish were insignificant, but for young ones like Sheng, five or six small fish could satisfy their daily needs.

Returning to the cave that evening, Xie Hui approached the Little Tiger. Seeing its ears perk up instantly, he pressed its head gently with his large paw.

This was purely a gesture Xie Hui enjoyed for its intimacy, but he forgot he was in a tiger’s body and couldn’t control his strength, inadvertently pressing Sheng flat to the ground.

“Tomorrow, I’m taking the beastmen from the tribe to the west to trade for sea salt. You must stay here, behave, and don’t sneak out, understood?”

The Little Tiger got up, walked to Xie Hui, and wrapped a front paw around Xie Hui’s paw, looking up at him.

Somehow, Xie Hui understood what it wanted to convey.

“I can’t take you on such a long journey.”

“Aw…”

Seeing its disappointment, Xie Hui lowered his head and gently nuzzled it.

“When you grow up, you can come along. I believe my Sheng will become the greatest warrior in the tribe.”

The Little Tiger, initially drooping its head in disappointment, perked up at these words and let out a couple of spirited howls with its youthful voice.

The next day, Xie Hui, along with two adults and three newly adult beastmen, set off westward with the tribe’s finest pelts.

They hunted casually for food when tired and continued their journey after eating, finding a flat spot to sleep at night.

After about five days, they reached the vast ocean and encountered a peculiar-looking tribe of beastmen.

Though they couldn’t fully understand each other’s language, basic communication was possible.

Understanding the purpose of the visitors, the other tribe inspected the animal pelts they carried. Satisfied with the quality, they filled five bags with sea salt and provided some tools.

The other beastmen carried the bags, while Xie Hui took a lighter one, leading the way and conserving energy for hunting.

“You need to remember this route. Someday, I may not be here to guide you, and the responsibility will fall on your shoulders.”

Xie Hui’s words prompted the previously lax beastmen to pay attention to the route, trying to memorize it.

After six or seven days, they finally recognized familiar landmarks. Upon returning to the tribe, the beastmen who stayed behind cheered.

Just as Xie Hui set down his load, a Little Tiger came bounding toward him, howling with excitement.