Chapter 68: Chapter 68: The White Lake Wall

“Father, I want to go to Maple Ridge tonight to collect red maple sap,” Nan Feng said quickly.

Collecting red maple sap at night on Maple Ridge—such a fun activity was something Nan Feng definitely wouldn’t miss.

Gen thought for a moment, nodded, and agreed to Nan Feng’s request. He added, “Go back to the tribe and gather people to make wooden buckets so we can be ready to collect the sap tonight.”

After speaking, Gen turned his gaze to Elder Yami, who was standing nearby.

“Elder Yami, which elder will accompany the hunting party to Maple Ridge tonight?”

“Pukan, how about you?”

“Hehe—” Pukan grinned widely and replied, “Sure, I can’t wait to go to Maple Ridge!”

If he’d known earlier that those yellow granules were actually solidified red maple sap, Elder Pukan probably would have chopped down all the maples on Maple Ridge.

The reason the red maples on Maple Ridge were still standing was because no one from the tribe had gone there to cut them down. The beautiful color of the leaves was the main reason. Even though the beastfolk weren’t as obsessed with beauty as the birdfolk or fishfolk, they still appreciated what was beautiful.

Maple Ridge wasn’t far from the Heluo Tribe. You could see it from the mouth of the White River. The rolling hills covered in red maples were a feast for the eyes.

Besides, red maples weren’t as useful as ironwood trees.

“Dalai, you’ll continue guarding the White Lake wall,” Yami said, shifting his gaze to Elder Dalai. “Also, the kiln closest to the White Lake wall is yours to live in.”

That kiln wasn’t far from Chang Xia’s house. Having Elder Dalai stationed at White Lake served two purposes: he could oversee the area and protect Chang Xia and the other tribe members nearby.

As the Heluo Tribe expanded, White Lake was bound to become a new safe zone. Sending an elder to guard it was necessary.

The incident of the three little beast cubs sneaking off to White Lake was now known throughout the tribe. This time, nothing bad happened because they met Chang Xia. But who knows if next time another cub might wander off?

To prevent accidents, the Heluo Tribe decisively built a tall wall around White Lake. It was both a wall and a city wall—at least, in Chang Xia’s eyes, the tribe was starting to look like a real town.

“Of course,” Dalai replied cheerfully, waving at Chang Xia. “Little Chang Xia, I’ll be counting on you from now on!”

“You’re too kind, Elder Dalai,” Chang Xia replied with a smile.

Elder Dalai moving here was a signal from the Heluo Tribe: from now on, White Lake would be officially included in the tribe’s territory. This was a big step forward. Expanding the tribe’s territory meant they could accommodate more people.

With everything decided, Gen and the others didn’t delay. They hurried back to the tribe to prepare wood for making buckets for the evening’s sap collection. Gen put Shen Rong in charge of making the buckets, while he went to check on the various kilns or help with their construction.

Elder Dalai returned to guard the White Lake wall.

In the end, only Elder Pukan stayed behind.

“Little Chang Xia, can I have some more red maple sap to taste?” Pukan blinked at Chang Xia, pleading.

Chang Xia’s mouth twitched.

If it were a cute little beast cub like Shan Que or Lu You begging her, she might soften and give them more.

But—

Elder Pukan was a burly man with thick eyebrows and big eyes. When he tried to act cute with his tiger-like eyes, was he really acting cute or just being scary?!

“No, Elder Pukan,” Chang Xia refused.

Pukan smacked his lips regretfully. “Little Chang Xia, you’ve changed. You used to call me Grandpa, but now you only call me Elder Pukan.”

Chang Xia held her forehead, exasperated. “Even if I called you Grandpa Pukan, I still couldn’t give you any more red maple sap. The shaman might come by today, so I have to save some for them, and also for Nuan Chun and the others to try.”

“Alright, fine,” Pukan said, withdrawing his gaze. He shot a dark look at Shen Rong, who was heading back to the tribe to make buckets, his fists clenching with a crack.

When he had the chance, he’d have to test Shen Rong’s strength.

He couldn’t hit Chang Xia—if he did, Yami and the others would never let him off. But testing Shen Rong, that wolf cub, was something Yami and the others definitely wouldn’t stop.

Chang Xia was speechless, clearly understanding the dangerous thoughts in Elder Pukan’s eyes. But she didn’t intend to stop him.

Once Granny Su Ye cured Shen Rong’s poison, with his strength, sparring with Elder Pukan shouldn’t be a problem.

Beastfolk were born warriors, never afraid of a fight.

If Shen Rong wanted to establish himself in the Heluo Tribe, he’d have to show his strength.

If not for her physical limitations, Chang Xia would have wanted to become a powerful totem warrior herself. The training she’d undergone recently had made her feel herself growing stronger.

In the future, venturing deep into the Twilight Forest to hunt and gather was just around the corner.

“Chang Xia, I heard you’re back from Maple Ridge!” Nuan Chun’s voice called out from afar. Shan Que and the others followed her, walking slowly from the tribe.

Chang Xia got up and went to help Nuan Chun.

“What brings you all here?” Chang Xia asked with a smile, though she already knew the answer. Most likely, Nan Feng had gone back to the tribe and bragged about it.

Nuan Chun said, “I heard from Nan Feng that she had some sweet tree sap at your place. I got a craving, so I brought Shan Que and the others over.”

“Haha—” Chang Xia laughed. “Don’t worry, I saved some for you.”

With that, she invited Nuan Chun and the others to sit down, and ladled each of them a bowl from a wooden bowl.

This time, though, she didn’t add any ice fruit pulp.

She planned to save the last two ice fruits for Granny Su Ye and Bai Qing. Besides, Nuan Chun was pregnant, and Shan Que and the others were still cubs. Eating cold things wasn’t good for them.

“Wow!”

“It’s sweet, really sweet!”

“Sweet and delicious! This tastes amazing!”

Before long, the cheerful chatter of Mountain Sparrow and the others could be heard.

Elder Pukang saw Nuan Chun and the others approaching and stood up to head back to the tribe, planning to help Shen Rong and Nan Feng make wooden barrels. The barrels were crucial for collecting red maple sap from Red Leaf Ridge—there could be no carelessness. He had originally stayed behind hoping to ask Chang Xia for some red maple sap to drink.

Now, seeing Nuan Chun and Mountain Sparrow’s group coming over, he thought it better to leave than to sit and watch them enjoy the sap.

“Why did Elder Pukang leave?” Nuan Chun asked in surprise.

Chang Xia couldn’t help but laugh and replied, “If he didn’t leave, did you want him to stay and drink our red maple sap? He’s gone back to help Shen Rong make barrels. Tonight, we’re planning to go to Red Leaf Ridge and collect sap overnight.”

“So urgent?” Nuan Chun exclaimed.

“Very urgent,” Chang Xia nodded. “Once the rainy season starts, we won’t be able to collect any more.”

She sighed helplessly. If only her body had recovered sooner, all these little things wouldn’t have piled up at once.

“Sigh, with my health like this… I feel like I can’t help with anything,” Nuan Chun said, a bit guilty.

Chang Xia reached out and pinched Nuan Chun’s cheek. With all the good food and rest lately, Nuan Chun had put on some weight, her complexion rosy and healthy—no longer pale and weak like before.

“You just focus on giving birth to your little cubs—that’s the most important thing,” Chang Xia said. “Nuan Chun, why don’t you move over to White Lake first? The cave dwellings there are more spacious, and it’ll be much more comfortable for you when the time comes.”

“I already talked to Shan Kun. He’s been moving our things from the tribe’s animal den over to the White Lake cave bit by bit. Now we’re just waiting for the shaman to come, and for the little ones to decide when they want to come out,” Nuan Chun said, sipping her red maple sap and gently rubbing her round belly.

She’d been eating well lately, and her spirits had improved too. She was no longer listless and tired like before. All of this was thanks to Chang Xia.