Chapter 92: Chapter 92: First Encounter

“Tonight, the whole tribe is happy too.” Shen Rong wrapped Chang Xia in a gentle embrace, slowly drawing closer. He picked up a stray lock of her hair and tucked it behind her ear, whispering, “Chang Xia, meeting you, I…”

Chang Xia perked up her ears to listen—

“Chang Xia, come eat!”

In the distance, Nan Feng bounced over, calling Chang Xia’s name and urging her to come taste the food.

At the same time, Shan Que, Lu You, and the other little ones ran over with skewers of barbecue, singing and dancing around Chang Xia.

In this moment,

Chang Xia and Shen Rong exchanged a glance and smiled.

Hand in hand, they herded the young ones toward Nan Feng and the rest of the tribe.

That night, the Heluo Tribe sang and danced, celebrating new beginnings.

There was no wine, but everyone waved their barbecue skewers, dancing the most ancient blessing dance around the bonfires, savoring every moment.

Plop—

Suddenly, the first raindrop fell.

Su Ye smiled and said, “May the first rain of the rainy season bless us. May the Heluo Tribe prosper. May the Misty Forest, after so many years, once again welcome twins…”

As Su Ye’s words faded,

Thunder rumbled in the sky, and the rain poured down.

No one in the plaza made a move to leave. Instead, everyone laughed and stayed right where they were, welcoming the first rain of spring.

There’s a custom in the Misty Forest:

The first rain at the end of spring and start of summer is called the “First Rain.”

The First Rain is a gift from the Beast God—a true blessing. Bathing in it is said to keep you free from pain and illness for the whole year.

When Chang Xia was younger, before she came of age,

Every year, the tribe would help her outside for the First Rain, even if she wasn’t feeling well. They’d make sure she could join in.

Chang Xia used to complain about the First Rain in private.

But she never really refused to go.

In fact, she rather enjoyed these group activities—after all, who could stand being cooped up in a beast den seven or eight days out of ten?

“Shen Rong, do they celebrate the First Rain Festival in the Western Lands?” Chang Xia asked.

Soaking in the First Rain, everyone ate barbecue and chatted loudly.

Shen Rong shook his head. “There’s no such thing as the First Rain in the West, and definitely no festival for it.”

In the Western Lands, beast tribes lived in a constant rush—struggling for survival, for power and status.

They never lived as leisurely as the Eastern beast tribes, hunting and gathering day after day, enjoying a simple, peaceful life. Shen Rong truly loved the Eastern way—relaxed, free of war and bloodshed, simple and easy.

“The Western Lands—”

“If I can help it…I don’t want you to ever go there.”

If the Misty Forest was paradise, then the Western Lands were more like hell. The oppressive atmosphere alone could drive anyone mad.

“Really?” Chang Xia paused, surprised.

So, not every tribe in this world was as peaceful as the Heluo Tribe.

“Come on, Chang Xia, eat!”

“Try the barbecue I made with sour fruit juice—”

“Hurry up, eat, then we’ll head back to the cave.”

Chang Xia rolled her eyes, eating barbecue in the rain. She really wasn’t used to it, but for once, it actually felt pretty nice.

“Chang Xia, this cup of red maple sap is for you!” Gen brought over a bowl of red maple sap, grateful for all Chang Xia had done for the tribe.

Changxia froze, looking awkwardly at Gen and stammered, “Chief, you’re making me feel so embarrassed.”

She had been protected by the tribe since childhood and was able to grow up safely because of it.

The tribe had raised her, and now that she was an adult and able to give back, it was only natural for her to do so.

But Gen and the tribe’s gratitude made Changxia feel undeserving.

“Gen, I’ll drink this bowl of red maple sap for Changxia,” Suye stood up and took the bowl from Gen’s hands.

She understood what Changxia meant—Changxia didn’t want to accept, nor was she willing to accept, this bowl of red maple sap from Gen. Suye was undoubtedly the best person to take her place.

Changxia grinned at Suye and Gen, then took two steps back and gestured with both hands, signaling for the two of them to drink the sap.

“To the first rain—”

“To the first rain!”

Gen clinked his bowl against Suye’s, and the two of them downed the red maple sap in one go.

Soon, the rain grew heavier.

Gen instructed the tribespeople to start cleaning up the plaza, and everyone dispersed, heading back to their own cave dwellings.

After being blessed by the first rain, everyone walked home in high spirits. Although their new homes weren’t fully organized yet, the excitement of moving in made up for everything.

“Shankun, did you pack food for Nuanchun?” Changxia asked.

“I did,” Shankun replied.

Hearing that Shankun hadn’t forgotten Nuanchun’s share, Changxia felt relieved.

She turned to Suye and whispered, “Grandma Suye, do Nuanchun and the little ones need to bathe in the first rain too?”

“They do,” Suye nodded.

“Elder Yami personally took the twins to bathe in the first rain, and Nuanchun got a little wet too,” Shankun said happily. Usually, when beast cubs bathe in the first rain for the first time, an elder from the tribe will personally carry them out into the rain.

After watching his own cubs and Nuanchun bathe in the first rain, Shankun went to the plaza to help clean up.

Once he finished, he couldn’t wait to return to his own cave dwelling—

—to share this joy with his mate and children.

Changxia was a little dazed.

Bathing in the first rain during the postpartum period—is that really okay?

Sensing Changxia’s shock, Suye explained, “Don’t worry, beastfolk are strong and healthy. Bathing in the spring rain is just a light sprinkle; Nuanchun won’t catch cold. I’ve prepared plenty of herbs. Shankun, remember to boil a bag for Nuanchun to soak in when you get home…”

“Got it, I’ll remember,” Shankun replied earnestly.

The group walked out of the tribe in the rain.

At the edge of White Lake, they parted ways and each headed home.

“Changxia, go dry your hair inside. I’ll go light the fire and boil some water. You can bathe first.”

Before they even reached their cave dwelling’s yard, Chenrong hurried into the kitchen to start the fire, reminding Changxia to find a towel and dry her hair.

Suye and Baiqing both nodded, urging Changxia to hurry inside.

“Wu, the Heluo tribe is really different.”

At this moment, Baiqing stood in the yard, letting the raindrops soak him. Through the curtain of rain, he gazed quietly at the misty White Lake and couldn’t help but say this to Wu.

Suye was slightly surprised, then smiled. “In the future, the other tribes in the Twilight Forest will be just like the Heluo tribe.”

“Because of Changxia—?”

“Yes, because of Changxia.”

The two finished their quiet conversation and went together to the storage room to get towels and dry their wet hair.

“Changxia, the hot water’s ready!” Chenrong called from the kitchen, telling Changxia to come bathe.

“Okay! I’m coming!” Changxia replied.

“Wu, you’ll have to wait a bit for your bath,” Chenrong explained to Suye, who had just entered the kitchen. “After Changxia’s done, I’ll fetch more water for you.”

“That’s fine, I’m not in a hurry,” Suye smiled. “Get things ready tonight, and I’ll prepare a medicine pack for you. Boil it and use it as a medicinal bath for half an hour. After that, I’ll need a little blood from your fingertip to prepare the next batch. Gu poison is complicated—it’ll take time to fully detoxify.”

“Alright,” Chenrong agreed without asking further. He always did as Suye said. Still, when he heard the word “detoxify,” he couldn’t help but feel a ripple of emotion.