Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Chief, Shall We Build Kilns?

Sure enough,

Half a moment later, Yadong and Kongshan carried the newly made tables and chairs over from the tribe. Made from ironwood, the furniture was smoothly polished, and if you got close, you could smell the subtle fragrance of grass and wood.

It was a cool, bamboo-leaf-like scent.

This was the unique aroma of ironwood, which could repel insects, ants, and poisonous snakes.

“Yadong, you’re really skilled! I have a few pieces of wood at home—could you make me a matching set of tables and chairs? I’ll trade you some meat for it, how about that?”

Immediately, a clan member couldn’t help but ask.

“Sure!” Yadong readily agreed. He’d been busy at White Lake lately and hadn’t gone out hunting with the hunting party. Food wasn’t a problem,

But who would ever turn down more meat?!

Now that the cave dwellings were finished, Yadong was planning to learn from Changxia and stockpile some food at home. The rainy season was coming, after all—it was best to be prepared.

Making tables and chairs was simple, especially with Kongshan and the others helping.

In a day, they could easily make a dozen sets.

Shankun had to take care of Nuanchun and tidy up the newly built cave, so Yadong naturally didn’t ask him for help.

“Yadong, I want a set for my home too.”

“Me too...”

“What’s the rush? With the limited space in the beast dens, have you even thought about where you’ll put the tables and chairs?”

Gen was exasperated, shaking his head.

Did they think he didn’t know how nice the tables and chairs were?

Even with several connected dens, a den was still a den—space was limited.

Usually, just a few pots and jars took up half the space. If you added a stove, where would the tables and chairs go?

And if you put in tables and chairs, where would you sleep?!

In the end, the topic shifted back to building kilns.

“Chief, I want to build a kiln for my family.”

“That’s right, building a kiln is the best option.”

“With a kiln, you could fit two or three sets of tables and chairs, no problem.”

Suddenly, everyone started talking about building kilns. Gen and Muqin exchanged glances, delight flickering in their eyes, but Gen didn’t rush to agree.

Space in the tribe was limited. To build new cave dwellings, they’d have to expand outward.

Expansion meant the tribe would get bigger. That would require more people to patrol every day—it would affect everything.

Even as chief, Gen wouldn’t risk the clan’s safety.

This was something that needed to be discussed by everyone before deciding how to proceed with building kilns.

“Chief, don’t stay silent—we need you to make a decision on this,” Yundong said, pushed forward by the others. He actually wanted to ask the shaman; if Suye spoke up, the matter would likely be settled.

But everyone was a little afraid of the shaman’s authority.

Even Gen, the chief of the Heluo tribe, didn’t dare to casually chat with Suye.

“This concerns the whole tribe. I need to wait for everyone’s input before making a decision. Our internal space is limited, and if we want to build kilns, we’ll have to expand outward. If we expand, we’ll need more patrols...” Gen calmly analyzed the pros and cons, laying out all the details.

Gradually, the clan members quieted down.

Heyun thought for a moment and said, “Chief, I’m willing to move over to White Lake.”

Before she spoke, she exchanged a look with Muqin.

The younger cubs like Nanfeng all knew how to make good choices—there was no reason the elders shouldn’t see the benefits too. Gen wanted everyone to speak up because he knew the tribe’s space was maxed out; building kilns would only squeeze what little was left.

Among beast tribes, everyone valued their own territory. Crossing boundaries would inevitably lead to conflict.

Every beast den in the tribe was spaced apart.

For example, in the lion tribe, once cubs reached adulthood, they were driven out of the den. The Heluo tribe was better off—after all, even after Nanfeng came of age, he still lived with Gen and Muqin.

“If moving to White Lake means we can build kilns, I’m willing too.”

“Come to think of it, White Lake is pretty nice, and it’s close to Changxia’s cave.”

At once, the discussion grew lively again.

Maybe Heyun’s words had opened up new possibilities, and no one pressed Gen for an answer anymore.

Everyone chatted happily, and by the time Changxia called everyone to eat, Heyun and several other females had already decided where to build their kilns—not far from Changxia’s cave, downstream from White Lake, just like Nanfeng and Nuanchun. Heyun and the others all decided to center their new homes around Changxia’s cave and expand outward.

It looked as if Changxia was being protected right at the very center.

Even if there was a beast attack, it wouldn’t be able to harm her.

On the long table, filled with the rich aroma of food, sat stone-pot stewed goose, beggar’s chicken, pork ribs stewed with yam, roasted meat, fruit-and-rice pancakes, and more. In front of everyone was a bowl of freshly pressed rice noodles. Not far away, there was still a good amount of fine rice noodles and rice noodle sheets on the sieve.

With Su Ye’s call to begin, the tribespeople didn’t bother with conversation and started eating heartily. The stewed goose in the stone pot was golden and tender, the meat falling off the bone, fragrant but not greasy, with a pure taste that lingered on the palate. The beggar’s chicken was also tender and falling off the bone, but with a different flavor, and the pork ribs stewed with yam were sweet and soft...

The tribespeople were completely immersed in the feast. Even the roasted meat, made by Chen Rong, was crisp and aromatic, bite after bite, not greasy at all—everyone just wanted to keep eating. Paired with the fruit-and-rice pancakes, they almost forgot about the rice noodles and the cold mixed noodle sheets.

By the end of the meal,

everyone was stuffed.

The long tables were a mess of empty dishes and bowls.

All the food that had been prepared was completely eaten up. Even the bone soup in the stone pot was gone, the bones gnawed clean—there wasn’t even a scrap of residue left.

Looking at the scene, Changxia felt the weight of responsibility.

Feeding this group of foodies was no easy task.

But it was certainly a challenge.

“Changxia, are you afraid?” Su Ye asked softly, smiling.

Changxia didn’t hide her feelings. Su Ye could see that she wanted to change the Heluo tribe—maybe even the entire beast tribe.

Su Ye liked the vitality in Changxia’s eyes.

At the same time, she wanted to support Changxia on her journey. That’s why Su Ye chose to keep secret the fact that Changxia had already awakened her bloodline, letting her experiment and grow under her watchful eye.

Clearly, Changxia’s development was just as Su Ye had hoped.

Meeting Su Ye’s deep gaze, Changxia replied calmly, “Granny Su Ye, I want to give it a try—”

Su Ye didn’t say anything more, just reached out and gently patted Changxia’s head, wordlessly expressing her support and letting Changxia know that no matter what, the Sacred Mountain of Kana would always be her backing.

Feeling Su Ye’s care and support, Changxia grinned, her face breaking into a happy smile.

Since childhood, she had always tested boundaries, boldly showing how out of place she was with the Misty Forest.

All of this—

Su Ye and the Heluo tribe had seen it all.

But whether it was Su Ye or the leopard clan of the Heluo tribe, they had chosen to accept her.

They tacitly told Changxia that no matter who she was or where she came from, right now, she was a beast cub of the Heluo tribe—their cub.

Nearby,

Gen, Muqin, and the others all smiled,

not joining in the conversation between the two.

“Shaman, I will protect Changxia,” Chen Rong said firmly,

clutching Changxia’s small hand in his palm to show his determination.

Su Ye looked at him and said gently, “I’ll help you remove the poison from your body as soon as possible. What are your plans for the Wolf tribe? Do you need me to send a message to them?”

“Please do, Shaman. As for the Wolf tribe… I want to wait until I’m recovered, then go visit Grandfather in person,” Chen Rong replied steadily.

“Alright,” Su Ye nodded, agreeing to his decision.

Hearing that Chen Rong wanted to go to the Wolf tribe himself, Changxia’s mind started to wander, her curiosity piqued.