Chapter 190: Chapter 190: The Beast God Mark

The Beast God Mark.

Before a beast cub turns one, a mark will randomly appear on its beast form.

The mark resembles the pictograph for “beast.”

That’s why the tribes call it the Beast God Mark.

With the Beast God Mark, it’s easy to tell a beast cub from a wild animal. However, the mark usually fades after the cub successfully takes human form.

“Ah!” Chang Xia was dumbfounded.

She stood there, completely stunned.

The Heluo tribe was a black panther tribe. Their beast forms were pitch black, even the cubs. Chang Xia knew about the Beast God Mark, but she’d rarely seen it in person.

So, this time, she’d made a blunder.

No wonder Shen Rong had looked at her so speechlessly and helplessly just now.

And she’d even said it was too small, not enough meat, not worth eating.

Honestly—

What was she even saying?

Luckily, only she and Shen Rong were at the river.

Oh, and the unconscious, not-so-well-off little snake cub.

“I didn’t look closely before. You see… this cub’s beast form is so dark,” Chang Xia explained, determined not to admit she hadn’t recognized the Beast God Mark at all. That would be too embarrassing! Really, it was the tribe cubs’ fault for being so dark!

As for the Beast God Mark…

Chang Xia truly hadn’t recognized it.

“The little snake cub isn’t doing well. Should we light a signal flare, or just head straight back to the White Lake cave?” Shen Rong asked, carefully cradling the young beast in his arms.

“Let me take a look at him first, then I’ll decide,” Chang Xia said softly, reaching out her hands.

She gently took the snake cub from Shen Rong. The cub felt cool to the touch, curled up and just a bit larger than Chang Xia’s palm. She was careful not to squeeze, holding the little one delicately as she used her bloodline ability to check his condition.

It wasn’t a soft, docile female cub, but a little male troublemaker. There weren’t any serious wounds, just a few light scratches. He was unconscious, probably from hunger.

“Let’s head back to camp,” Chang Xia said. “He’s not seriously hurt, just passed out from hunger. Once he eats, he should wake up. These little scratches are likely from brushing against plants.”

Shen Rong picked up the water bucket and gave the wild vegetables Chang Xia had gathered a quick rinse.

Back at camp, the mutton bone soup wasn’t ready yet. Chang Xia filled a wooden basin with water and gently cleaned the snake cub, then dabbed some ointment on his wounds.

Looking up at the sky, Chang Xia took out a signal flare and set it off.

She thought it over for a while and decided they should stay on the grassland for now. If a snake cub had really appeared near the creek, it meant… wanderers might have used the Wei River to sneak from the Wangyue Mountains into the Wei Mountains, and then reached the Heluo tribe.

This was no small matter—it had to be reported to the tribe.

“With the speed of the totem warriors, someone from the tribe should be here within an hour at most. Should we make another pot of mutton?” Shen Rong mused aloud.

Given how much the Heluo tribe valued Chang Xia, he figured that since he and Chang Xia were on a grassland trial, the tribe would definitely increase patrols along the creek. When they’d arrived, Shen Nian and Mu Tuo were patrolling the Baiguo forest. Shen Rong guessed the number of patrols might double, but he wondered who would be sent this time.

“Let’s do it. I’ll go pick some more wild greens nearby,” Chang Xia replied.

She wondered if Elder Pukang would come as well. The grassland wasn’t far from the wilderness, and with Elder Pukang’s speed—especially when beast-shaped—he could make it in under an hour. If he was already in Baiguo forest, it might be even faster.

Before heading out to gather wild greens, Chang Xia carefully wrapped the snake cub in a piece of clothing and placed him beside the stove to keep him warm. Snakefolk tended to have lower body temperatures, and the cub felt chilly. Chang Xia wasn’t sure if he had a fever or not—her bloodline ability could warm the body, but didn’t help with fevers.

Worried about the cub, Chang Xia didn’t go far, just picked some common purslane and shepherd’s purse near the camp. With the warm season, wild greens were starting to get tough, but the grassland near the creek was rich in water, so there was no shortage of edible plants.

Recently, in their spare time, Chang Xia and Shen Rong had also gathered quite a few herbs, like dandelion and hay. After washing the wild greens, they were lucky enough to find a dozen or so bird eggs. Those could be steamed for the snake cub. Neither Chang Xia nor Shen Rong had any experience with snake cubs, so they couldn’t guess his age or what he could or couldn’t eat. They hadn’t brought any fruit powder on this trial, so fruit porridge was out of the question. Steamed eggs and minced meat would have to do.

Or maybe… some meat broth?

“Shen Rong, is he still not awake?” Chang Xia asked quietly.

She reached out and gently poked the cub’s tail twice. It was cool to the touch—probably refreshing to hold in the hot season, but in the cold season, cuddling a snake cub would be misery.

Shen Rong shook his head. “No. He moved a little, but then nothing.”

Both of them were complete novices when it came to beast cubs. They had no idea what to do—it was all guesswork.

Chang Xia slipped her hand under the cub’s little head. “Let me check if he’s still breathing. He’s so still, it’s worrying!”

Shen Rong was silent for a moment, then decided to go along with Chang Xia and carefully checked the cub as well.

Meanwhile—

Elder Pukang had indeed led a group from the wilderness to Baiguo forest. Coincidentally, the totem warrior on patrol this time was Nan Feng, from Nanshan. Since Chang Xia had gone deep into the grassland for her trial, the tribe had also sent Ge Lei and Yun Dong along. Old, middle-aged, and young—the tribe’s perfect combination.

Bang, bang—

“Elder Pukang, a signal flare!” Nan Feng suddenly jumped up and looked at Elder Pukang.

Nearby, Yun Dong and Ge Lei stood up as well, eyes sharp as they stared toward the depths of the grassland.

When Shen Nian gave Chang Xia two signal flares, he’d naturally told Elder Pukang and the others during the patrol handover.

“Let’s go, to the grassland!” Elder Pukang shouted, stuffing the roast meat in his hand into his mouth in one bite. He crouched, quickly shifted into beast form, and in the blink of an eye, five massive black beasts appeared in Baiguo forest.

Roar, roar—

Elder Pukang let out two loud roars, then led Yun Dong and the others as they charged toward the grassland.

At the same time, back at the tribe, people also saw the signal flare in the sky and heard Elder Pukang’s beastly roar.

“Elder Yami, I’ll head to the creek now,” Gen said, springing to his feet. He’d been grinding flour with Elder Yami in the tribe’s plaza when the signal flare exploded in the sky.

They’d figured Chang Xia would be back at the tribe by now. But at the last moment, instead of seeing her return, they saw her signal flare.

“Let’s go, no time to lose,” Elder Yami said, giving a few quick instructions to the totem warriors in the plaza and sending them with Gen to the creek.

The signal flare shattered the peace of the Heluo tribe.