Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains 168
Chapter 168
“What? Ale is pregnant?” Chen Qi was so surprised that the writing brush, just covered with dye-fruit liquid, fell from his hand, and the dye-fruit liquid on the tip left a dark blot on the still-blank sheet of paper.
The others in the classroom followed Chen Qi’s words and cast doubtful glances in their direction.
Ale’s face turned crimson as he sat behind Ye Huo, looking like a bashful young wife. He had only planned to quietly tell Chen Qi in secret, but who would have thought that Chen Qi would shout it out loud? Now great — the whole tribe knew.
Ake also looked at him in surprise. He hadn’t expected Ale to become pregnant so soon. “If there are no other problems before the child is born, you shouldn’t continue guard duty for the time being. I’ll bring it up with the chief later.”
“No.” Ale shook his head. “It’s only been a short while; it’s not a big deal.”
Ake glanced at him. “There are now four people taking turns guarding the city wall each day. Our tribe has grown much larger than before — we don’t need you taking shifts anymore.”
“I think Ake is right. There’s nothing else that needs doing in the tribe right now; you just need to take good care of yourself.”
Ye Huo fondly patted Ale’s head, but after Chen Qi shot him a glare, he quickly added a few coaxing words. Only then did Ale reluctantly agree. After that, Ake went off to tell Azhang about it, and unsurprisingly, Azhang approved.
Perhaps because Ale was the only pregnant female in Qi Ze City, in the days that followed, he felt like a fragile porcelain doll who might break at a touch. At home, Ye Huo took care of everything. Outside, every tribesman scrambled to help him with anything. Even young Ajing, not yet an adult, would rush over to take anything slightly heavy from his hands. The little wolf cub, who used to bare its teeth and sometimes pounce on Ale whenever he secretly pet it, now only glared once and slipped away quietly.
Ale wasn’t happy. A life where he didn’t have to do anything was too boring — unbearably so.
But because of this happy event, the gloomy mood that had spread through the tribe after the sudden passing of the locust dragons was completely swept away.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
Seeing Ale lying listlessly on the table, Chen Qi felt speechless. Earlier, when Ale was bored, Ali had dragged him along to sew clothes for his unborn child, but instead of finishing any clothes, Ale ended up with several pricked fingers. When asked to practice cooking again with Ka Luo, the dishes he made were so bad that just looking at them made people’s stomachs hurt. Later, when told to copy texts to practice writing, he couldn’t even last an hour before falling asleep face down.
Who said females were capable of everything? In everything besides hunting, Ale shattered the saying that females learned quickly and mastered everything.
“It’s lucky you already found a mate.” Compared to Ale, Ka Luo felt that his own partner was practically a decathlon — there was nothing he didn’t know.
Ale lifted his head and pouted unhappily. “My hunting skills are just as good as Ake’s.”
“But my Ake’s hunting isn’t worse than yours,” Ka Luo countered mercilessly.
Ale was left speechless, then ran pitifully back to Ye Huo to seek comfort.
Ye Huo affectionately rubbed Ale’s head and comforted him. “It’s fine. I’ve learned everything you can’t. Together, we can do anything.”
Ale looked at his mate with emotion, then snorted softly at Ka Luo and ignored him.
Everyone in the classroom had something to do. After lying for a while, Ale got up to tease Ayao, then went to bother the little wolf cub again. But perhaps because the weather was getting colder, both little ones were uninterested and didn’t want to play with him. Before long, Ale was once again left with nothing to do.
Chen Qi watched him wandering back and forth in front of him and started getting a headache. He glanced at Ajiu, who was also sitting nearby, staring blankly into the fire.
Although Ajiu had lived in Qi Ze City for some time, the trauma he had gone through had left him quiet and withdrawn. He often sat alone in corners and didn’t like talking to others. Though he’d been learning writing from Ajing lately, he couldn’t really play with Ajing, who was a few years younger. Chen Qi had tried getting Ajing and the little wolf cub to play with him, and though Ajiu tried to cooperate, anyone could see how forced the expression on his face was.
Chen Qi didn’t know whether Ajiu had become this way because of what he’d gone through, or if he had always been this quiet by nature. Seeing him curled up off to the side, Chen Qi softly called his name.
Ajiu turned and saw Chen Qi waving at him, then stood up and walked over.
“Ajiu, can you play with Ale? Look at him, he’s so bored he’s about to grow mold.” Chen Qi said with a smile.
Ajiu looked at Ale, then back at Chen Qi. After a moment of silence, he said, “I don’t know what to play with him.”
“That’s easy.” Chen Qi took out a deck of cards from his backpack — something he had drawn himself over the past few days. There were fifty-two cards in total, all with uniformly dark blue backs.
Chen Qi called Ale over again. Ale curiously picked up a card and examined it. The card was a little thick, looking like two pieces of paper stuck together, but Chen Qi had crafted them so carefully that you wouldn’t notice unless you looked closely.
“What’s this?”
“Cards.” Chen Qi spread them out on the table. Ka Luo, who had been helping weave cloth nearby, noticed and leaned over as well.
“I’ll teach you a very simple but fun game.” Chen Qi placed four A’s together. “This game is called Go Fish.”
After saying that, Chen Qi carefully explained the rules of Go Fish. This time, not only the few sitting around him, but even the others in the classroom gathered closer. Since it was hard to understand everything just by listening, he let them play one round as he explained the rules again.
After all, it was an extremely simple card game — not much skill was needed, and luck played a bigger part. After two rounds, everyone had already learned how to play.
Now that Ale had found something fun to do, his gloominess vanished. He eagerly pulled others over to play with him, laughing and chatting with great enthusiasm.
Some beastmen who couldn’t squeeze into the group pestered Chen Qi to make another deck of cards so they could play too.
Ali helplessly watched as the beastmen who had been weaving cloth moments ago suddenly dropped their work and ran off to play. With a sigh, he tapped Chen Qi lightly on the head with the small stick in his hand. “How do you come up with so many things? Just a few pieces of paper, and you’ve lured that whole bunch away.”
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
Chen Qi smiled apologetically, and Ali rolled his eyes at him in exasperation.
“Speaking of which, has Aze been guarding the city wall these past few days?”
“En.” Chen Qi’s smile faded.
“Chen Qi.” Ali hesitated for a moment before finally asking softly, with a touch of awkwardness, “Do you want children?”
Chen Qi froze for a moment, then let out a short laugh. “Are you worried that Aze’s been avoiding me because of that?”
“Isn’t he?”
Chen Qi shook his head. “It’s because a few more hydrochoerus dragons fell into the traps two days ago.”
After the first few hydrochoerus dragons, three more had fallen into the traps not long after the locust dragons had left. The fact that dragons kept appearing to cause trouble from time to time—yet the tribe suffered no real harm and continued their peaceful lives—made Aze uneasy.
Aze had lived through the destruction of two tribes. The first time, he had been too young to help, but the sight of the hyena-drakes stepping into the tribe was still vivid in his mind. Having lived here for years, he had never seen dragons appear so frequently before. He didn’t believe it was a coincidence. On the contrary, he thought these were omens—signs that something was coming.
The fall of his first two tribes hadn’t affected Aze too deeply, but this time was different. The person he loved most lived here, and even the slightest threat was something he couldn’t ignore.
“I thought… sorry.” Ali sighed.
Chen Qi shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize to me. I should be the one thanking you for caring so much about Aze.”
“Aze is a child I’ve watched grow up,” Ali said as he rolled a cocoon of thread by his feet. “He’s always been strong-willed and stubborn. Even though I raised him, he’s always looked after me instead. I may not be as capable as he is, but as long as he’s happy, I’m happy.”
“Don’t worry,” Chen Qi said firmly, meeting his eyes. “I’ll make sure he’s always happy. And besides—did you forget? We already have a little female and a little wolf cub at home. Aren’t those two our sons? So if you’re asking whether I want kids, I’d say I already have two. I don’t have the energy for another.”
Not far away, Ajing’s ears twitched as he sat copying texts. He reached out and pressed down the little wolf cub’s head when it tried to look up, then started mixing a new batch of dye-fruit. His hand trembled slightly, and a few drops splashed to the ground. The cub stretched out its tongue and licked them clean, leaving no trace behind.
By evening, light snow began to fall again. This time, there was no storm; the sky was clear, and even the sunset could be seen glowing faintly. But since the sunlight held no warmth, the world felt cold and distant.
A white-haired beastman crouched silently atop the city wall. A thin layer of snow had already gathered on his shoulders—anyone could see he had been sitting there for quite a while.
Suddenly, a shadow fell across him, blocking the falling snow. Aze brushed the snow from his face and looked up, seeing a familiar smiling face. “Why are you here?”
Chen Qi held an umbrella in one hand and lifted the food box in the other. “I came to bring you dinner—and to watch the sunset with you.”
Aze stood up, the snow sliding off his body. He glanced toward the narrow wooden bridge connecting two sections of the wall. A layer of snow had settled on the planks, and a clear trail of footprints marked Chen Qi’s path. Frowning, he said disapprovingly, “Don’t walk over such dangerous places alone next time. Just call out to me—I can hear you from here.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Chen Qi nodded obediently and motioned toward the food box with his chin. “It’s freezing out here, and the food’s almost turned to ice. Let’s eat before it gets worse.”
Aze took the food box and tried to take the umbrella too, but Chen Qi refused. Instead, Aze held Chen Qi’s gloved hands. Even through the fabric, Chen Qi could feel the warmth of his palms.
“Why didn’t you eat before coming?”
Chen Qi grinned. “Because I can’t eat without you.”
There was no one else in the watchtower. The charcoal fire was nearly out. Aze brushed the snow from his fur before stepping inside, rekindled the fire, then laid a piece of hide over the cushion for Chen Qi to sit on.
Chen Qi opened the food box. It was large, holding bowls directly inside. Even though he hadn’t walked far, the food was already cold, so he placed the clay bowls over the charcoal fire to reheat them.
The soup in the bamboo tube still held a bit of warmth. Chen Qi handed it to Aze. “Drink some soup first—it’ll warm you up.”
“Did you notice anything unusual today?”
Aze took a sip. The soup, spiced with wild ginger slices, burned slightly on the way down but spread warmth through his chest. “No. There’s no sign of the locust dragons returning to the forest. No other dragons appeared either. It’s completely silent outside the walls—so quiet it’s almost frightening.”
“Oh?” Chen Qi raised an eyebrow. “Something that can actually scare my Aze? Then I’d better stay here and keep you company.”
“No… no need.” Aze shook his head quickly. “It’s not the quiet that scares me. I’m just afraid that something dangerous will suddenly emerge from it—and I won’t be able to handle it.”
Chen Qi squeezed his hand gently. “It’s fine. Whatever you can’t handle, I’ll help you with. And if even I can’t solve it, then we’ll figure it out together.”
A warmth flowed through Aze’s heart. “En.”
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
Chen Qi took the now-warmed food and handed Aze a pair of chopsticks. “Hungry? Let’s eat. Tonight’s all hydrochoerus dragon meat—when food delivers itself to your door, it’d be rude not to enjoy it.”
“En.” Aze smiled, picked up a slice of meat with his chopsticks, and offered it to Chen Qi before eating some himself. “Did anything happen in the tribe today?”
Chen Qi pulled a few sweet potatoes into the charcoal fire that had just been used to heat their food. “If there’s anything worth mentioning, it’s that I taught Ale and the others to play cards—and Ali thought you’ve been hiding up here every day because Ale’s pregnancy made you unhappy.”
“Cough.” Aze choked slightly. “Why would I be unhappy about that?”
“Exactly! I told him we already have two sons, and if we had another one, we probably couldn’t afford to raise him.” Chen Qi chuckled. “Didn’t you see that little bear, Ayao? He drives Ka Luo crazy every day—Ka Luo’s probably losing handfuls of hair from the stress. I don’t want another little one to make me bald, too. I’m not young anymore, you know, I’d rather keep what hair I have left. Ajing and the little wolf cub are much easier—they’re smart and even help their dads out.”
Aze froze for a moment before realizing what Chen Qi meant. He smiled. “I think my two sons are great, too.” He picked out a few of Chen Qi’s favorite dishes and placed them in his bowl. “We already talked about this before. You don’t have to worry about me—I stopped dwelling on that a long time ago. Thank you.”
Chen Qi let out a breath of relief and smiled warmly. “En, I knew my Aze was the best.”
The tips of Aze’s ears turned red. He lowered his head and quietly continued eating.
“After we finish eating, let’s go watch the sunset. The sunset over the snowy plains is so beautiful.”
“It’s too cold outside,” Aze objected. “Let’s wait until it warms up a bit.”
“Aren’t winter temperatures all about the same? It’ll only get colder later on.” Chen Qi patted the cloak he had brought. “I even brought my cloak—don’t worry, I won’t freeze. It’s made from the fur of that snow bear you hunted for me. I practically sweat when I wear it.”
Aze hesitated for a moment, then finally gave in with a helpless sigh. “All right. But after we’re done watching, I’m taking you straight home.”
“Deal.”
The dark, moonless night could hide most dangers, and in such a pitch-black world where one could barely see a hand in front of one’s face, the best thing to do was to curl up comfortably under a warm blanket and drift into a peaceful dream.
But for the beastmen of the Salt-Water Tribe that night, there were no dreams—only endless nightmares unfolding before their eyes.
Between two rocky mountains, a ten-meter-high ice wall blocked the path leading into the tribe. There wasn’t even a gate. The sheer wall of ice stood smooth and translucent, leaving no trace of seams or openings.
“Heh.” The leader of the hyena-drakes gazed with amusement at the strange ice wall, while the beastmen standing atop it stared back at the endless, dark swarm of hyena-drakes stretching into the night. It was impossible to tell where the mass ended—if it ended at all.
“Why are there so many hyena-drakes?”
Axu stepped beside Achu. “Leave this to me. Take the tribesmen and withdraw first—head toward the lake, get to the center of it.”
“No, I’ll stay here and guard. You lead the people out.”
“Dad.” Axu’s face darkened. “We don’t have time to argue. Ashu, you and Dad take the tribesmen and retreat first. I’ll hold the line. Once the wall falls, I’ll come find you immediately.”
“Fine. Brother, be careful.” Ashu nodded, grabbed Achu’s arm, and quickly led him away. Achu didn’t insist on staying; he knew the strength of his eldest son. Ensuring the tribe’s safe retreat was the top priority now.
“Boom.” A heavy thud resounded from below the wall. Even standing atop it, Axu could feel the faint tremor.
“Boom.” Another impact followed, and then came a relentless rhythm of pounding crashes.
Axu lifted his wooden bow, lit an arrow, and with a sharp whizz, it flew toward the hyena-drake, slamming against the wall below.
The flaming arrow struck the beast’s tough hide, leaving only a faint gray-black mark before falling uselessly to the ground. The hyena-drake seemed unfazed—if anything, it rammed the wall harder, chipping off large chunks of ice.
Axu’s eyes darkened as he let loose arrow after arrow. The hyena-drake, enraged by the constant stinging strikes, raised its head to roar at the beastman above—but before it could, a sharp pain shot through its left eye. Another arrow followed immediately, and as pain seared through its right eye, darkness swallowed its vision. Blinded, the beast thrashed wildly, crashing into its own kind in fury.
The hyena-drake leader narrowed his eyes, watching the frosty-faced beastman standing atop the wall, his figure illuminated by flickering torchlight. When the blinded hyena-drake, with arrows protruding from both eyes, began to charge into the rest of the pack, the leader gave a slight nod. The front ranks moved instantly—tearing their wounded companion apart and dragging the carcass backward to feast upon.
“Continue,” the hyena-drake leader ordered quietly.
Standing at the very front, a hyena-drake walked forward and charged again at the same spot where the previous one had struck. This time, no matter how many arrows rained down on it, it never lifted its head. The arrows couldn’t pierce its thick hide — they only caused a bit of pain without inflicting any real harm.
Axu stopped his attack and waved a hand behind him. A basin of grease fell from above, splashing squarely onto the hyena-drake’s body, followed closely by glowing red charcoal and several bundles of burning wood.
When the flames met the grease, they ignited instantly, engulfing the hyena-drake in fire. It stopped ramming the wall and rolled in agony across the snow. Its mournful cries echoed through the night, sending chills down everyone’s spine.
The hyena-drake leader simply stood aside, watching. Only when the burning beast stopped moving did it signal for another to step forward.
At the same spot, the same impact came again. After another volley of arrows, grease and flames poured down from above. Although the hyena-drake dodged the first few waves, it was eventually hit squarely and set ablaze.
This time, the hyena-drake leader didn’t wait for the burning one to fall still before sending in the next. As soon as the new one caught fire, another charged up to take its place.
“Why are they attacking one by one? Didn’t they use to attack all at once?” a female beastman asked in confusion.
Axu shook his head. “All we need to do is buy enough time for everyone to evacuate. Them attacking one at a time actually works in our favor.”
The other beastmen nodded. They focused only on the hyena-drakes striking the city wall. The rest were too far away — even their arrows couldn’t reach them, so attacking was pointless.
This war of attrition dragged on for most of the night. As more chunks of ice fell away under the constant impacts, the hole in the wall grew larger. Once it was big enough to shelter a hyena-drake’s body, the beastmen could no longer harm them.
“What do we do now?”
Axu glanced toward the dense mass of hyena-drakes outside the gate. “All of you withdraw first.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll leave after they break through the wall.”
“That’s too dangerous. There’s no point staying here now. If we leave, we leave together,” another objected.
Axu shook his head. “I just feel that if I leave now, the wall will collapse within moments. If I stay, I can buy you a little more time.”
The others tried to argue, but Axu waved them off. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I’ll be fine. I’m the best swimmer in the tribe — I can just jump into the lake and reach you from there. Stop wasting time. Leave quickly. The wall won’t hold much longer.”
Helpless, the others gave a few hurried reminders and then withdrew.
Axu stayed until the last moment, retreating only when the wall was about to give way. He slipped away along the nearest rock outcrop just as a massive hole burst open in the ice wall. Countless hyena-drakes swarmed into the Salt-Water Tribe. The first few, however, fell straight into the deep pit behind the wall — traps dug earlier. They became the fill, crushed under the feet of their own kind.
Looking over the now-empty tribe, the giant wolf-god let out a booming laugh. “You’ve overplayed this, haven’t you? You actually let all the beastmen escape! You said you searched the whole area — such a big tribe, don’t tell me the Beast God spirited them all away?”
The hyena-drake leader stared at the dark lake before him. The shoreline was covered in chaotic traces.
“Heh… interesting.” The leader paced slowly by the water. The cold lake lapped at his feet, carrying a faint salty tang that made him frown in discomfort. He stepped back a few paces.
“What’s interesting?” The giant wolf-god motioned for the hyena-drake beneath him to lower him down. He rather liked the salty scent in the air and even felt the urge to roll in the water.
The hyena-drake leader had the mount pull the giant wolf-god back, afraid the emaciated creature might actually throw itself into the lake. Once the giant wolf-god was far enough from the water, the leader said coolly, “The beastmen are probably somewhere in that lake.”
Words from the Translation Crew
Miiya: Longer chapter. 2 of 3 for the week.
Translator: Miiya
Editor: MushroomKnight73
Proofreader: Yume
Editor stepping into the realm of MTL translating, starting with CLWP. Support this translation with a Ko-fi. Three Ko-fis will add an extra chapter from the stockpile to the next weekly release.
