Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Su Ye the Elder

“You! Already an adult and still acting spoiled—I give up on you.” Su Ye reached out and tapped Changxia on the forehead, then glanced in the direction of the animal den. “No rush with the food for now. Take me to have a look around the cave dwellings.”

Gen had bragged about the cave dwellings to her more than once, which made Su Ye quite curious.

After all, Gen was always steady and honest.

What kind of magic did these cave dwellings have to make Gen so uncharacteristically excited? Besides Gen, Su Ye could sense that the entire Heluo tribe had changed since her last visit—more vibrant and lively than ever, something no other tribe could boast.

After an incident with the bird tribe, she’d been invited to take Bai Qing to the Qinghai Plateau. In just a little over ten days, the Heluo tribe had transformed so much that Su Ye couldn’t help but marvel.

“Sure!” Changxia nodded, let go of Su Ye, then reached back to pinch Bai Qing, waving her hand as she called, “Bai Qing, hello! Later, I’ll make you some fruit pancakes—they’re delicious! But what’s up with your eyes?”

“…,” Bai Qing rolled his eyes with practiced ease and brushed away Changxia’s mischievous hand.

In front of Su Ye and Bai Qing, Changxia was especially childlike.

She loved teasing Bai Qing, always calling herself his “big sister,” and especially enjoyed pinching his cheeks.

“Changxia, don’t tease him. Nan Feng, take Bai Qing to Changxia’s animal den for a nap,” Su Ye instructed. They’d come straight from the Qinghai Plateau to the Heluo tribe—a long journey. Su Ye could handle it, but Bai Qing was still young and so tired his eyes looked like panda circles.

“Got it!” Nan Feng replied.

Changxia was a bit surprised and blurted out, “Su Ye, did you come straight from the bird tribe?” As she spoke, her gaze swept over the large bundles Bai Qing and Mu Qin were carrying.

“There was a problem with the bird tribe, so they invited me over,” Su Ye replied.

She followed Changxia and Mu Qin as they strolled leisurely toward the cave dwellings.

“The bird tribe’s shaman?” Changxia asked in surprise.

What could have happened that required the beast tribe’s shaman to go all the way to the Qinghai Plateau?

“It was the red flamingo clan on the plateau. One of their chicks got sick. The bird tribe’s shaman, Nan He, couldn’t figure out the problem, so they had the flamingos come to the Twilight Forest to ask me for help.” Su Ye didn’t hide anything and explained the situation.

The fact that the Heluo tribe was raising a sickly Changxia was well known to the neighboring bird and fish tribes.

Some of the precious medicines Changxia drank even included herbs Su Ye had traded with the bird and fish tribes for. As a result, Su Ye’s reputation for healing had spread among both tribes.

“Is the bird chick okay?” Changxia asked nervously.

Su Ye smiled and replied, “It’s fine now. Just caught a chill and had a slight fever, plus ate too many frozen fruits.” Compared to the drama of Changxia’s illnesses, this was nothing. After examining the chick and confirming the cause, Su Ye simply brewed some medicine and cured it.

In two or three days, the chick was back to normal.

The only reason the whole trip took so long was because the plateau had entered the rainy season, which delayed things a bit.

“That’s good,” Changxia breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the cave dwellings.

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s still stunning and awe-inspiring!” Mu Qin said softly.

Su Ye was equally amazed as she looked at Changxia. The little beast cub who once fit in the palm of her hand had grown into such an outstanding young woman. Su Ye wasn’t materialistic, so she didn’t express her shock as openly as Mu Qin, but she followed Changxia as she checked each cave.

Listening to Changxia explain the purpose of each cave, Su Ye never stopped smiling. From the moment she found Changxia, she’d known this child was different.

Desolate, withdrawn, shrouded in a heavy aura of death.

Emotions like that had no place in a beast cub.

Especially that overwhelming sense of despair—it even made Su Ye shudder.

She once thought she’d never be able to save this special cub.

Back then, she’d struggled with the decision to send Changxia to the Heluo tribe. She’d wanted to raise Changxia herself, but as a shaman, her duties left her no choice.

Looking back now, she knew she’d made the right call.

The Heluo tribe had lived up to her trust.

The once hopeless cub had grown up, become an adult, and even found a mate.

Su Ye never tried to uncover Changxia’s secrets. Instead, she simply embraced her as an elder, teaching her to start life anew, to feel love and friendship again—and even found love herself in the process.

“Shaman, can the beast tribe build cave dwellings?” Mu Qin asked.

Su Ye nodded, then shook her head, which surprised Mu Qin—she couldn’t tell what Su Ye really thought. Changxia, on the other hand, understood. Building caves required outside help, and the soil quality was crucial. If the soil wasn’t right, digging caves could lead to collapse or water seepage, which was why cave building wasn’t suitable during the rainy season.

“Changxia, what do you think? Can the beast tribe build caves?” Su Ye asked kindly, smiling at Changxia. She’d long noticed Changxia’s unusual constitution—just like Bai Qing, she was suited to become a shaman.

But considering Changxia’s health and personality, Su Ye had ultimately chosen to remain silent.

This child, perhaps, was better left to grow freely.

“The Heluo tribe can build caves. But for other beast tribes, it depends,” Changxia said, pressing her hand to the cave wall. “The soil here is firm and stable—perfect for cave dwellings. Other types of soil are prone to collapse or water seepage, which is why cave building isn’t suitable during the rainy season.”

Mu Qin fell silent.

She was happy the Heluo tribe could build caves, but sad that such wonderful dwellings couldn’t be shared by all beast tribes.

“Aunt Mu Qin, houses don’t have to be caves. Wooden houses and brick houses can be just as beautiful and spacious. In some ways, they’re just like animal dens, only bigger!”

Changxia chose to build caves simply because the soil at White Lake was suitable.

If other beast tribes couldn’t build caves, they could build wooden or brick houses instead. The only downside was that it was a bit more work.

With the physique of the beastfolk, it’s hard to say Long Xia ever truly feels tired.

“Between wooden houses, brick houses, and cave dwellings, which is better?” Mu Qin asked curiously.

Long Xia smiled and replied, “Each has its own advantages. It depends on the terrain and the surrounding environment.”

She then went into detail about the pros and cons of wooden and brick houses. Mu Qin listened thoughtfully, carefully remembering everything Long Xia said.

“Long Xia, could you make a few sets of these furniture pieces for my Witch’s Hall?” Su Ye asked excitedly. She didn’t press further about the houses, but was instead captivated by the rosewood furniture arranged in the cave dwelling. These pieces had been made by Chen Rong during his breaks; since the beast den was too small, they’d been moved to the cave.

Su Ye fell in love with them at first sight.

She didn’t stand on ceremony with Long Xia and asked directly.

Long Xia linked arms with Su Ye and said happily, “Granny Su Ye, I made this furniture especially for you. I even picked out the prettiest rosewood.”

“Mmm! The dark wood grain really is beautiful,” Su Ye praised, approving of Long Xia’s taste.

Mu Qin met Long Xia’s proud gaze and shook her head with a smile.

After touring the cave dwelling, the group headed toward the beast den.

On the way, Mu Qin expressed her fondness for the small wooden boards and asked if Long Xia could make more when she had time, so they could be distributed among the tribe’s females.

That way, if the women found similar ones while out gathering, they could bring them back for Long Xia.

Long Xia happily agreed.