Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains 149
Chapter 149
Chen Qi speechlessly watched the man who had run to his house early in the morning and, without a word, began pulling him aside to excitedly exaggerate the events of last night. Chen Qi even considerately poured him a cup of tea to moisten his throat.
Aze brought the prepared breakfast to the table, served Chen Qi a bowl of meat porridge, and then reminded the man sitting opposite him, “Uncle Azhang, the people from the Lion-Wolf Tribe are leaving today. Don’t you need to go check on them?”
Azhang waved his hand dismissively. “They still need to send someone to scout the area first. They’ll probably leave around noon. It’s still early.” As he spoke, he pointed to the flatbread Aze had just placed on the table. “I haven’t eaten yet—mind giving me a portion?”
Chen Qi pushed the pottery plate with flatbreads toward him and asked curiously, “Did Ali not make breakfast for you today?”
Azhang picked up a piece of flatbread and answered Chen Qi’s question while eating. “He went early in the morning to arrange things for the few people from the Flame-Hill Tribe who are staying behind.”
The new arrivals had to be registered, and housing and work needed to be arranged for them. With only a few days left before the first snow and food storage preparations for winter still ongoing, there was much to be done.
While they were talking, Ye Huo entered, pulling Ale along. As soon as they came in, Ye Huo greeted everyone, while Ale hid behind him a bit nervously.
Chen Qi glanced meaningfully at their clasped hands, invited them to sit, and asked Aze to pour them tea.
Ye Huo politely declined Chen Qi’s invitation to join breakfast. After sitting down, he looked seriously at Azhang and got straight to the point. “Chief, I want to ask for your help to complete the mating ceremony between me and Ale.”
Azhang nearly choked on the flatbread he hadn’t swallowed, staring at the two in surprise. “You’re going to be mates?”
Ye Huo nodded, and feeling Azhang’s gaze, Ale’s ears flushed red as he also nodded shyly.
“Congratulations.” Chen Qi looked at the two in surprise. He hadn’t expected Ale to like someone so much older than himself. Although the two had become mates rather quickly, he still sincerely offered his blessings. They could be considered a successful start to this gathering.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
“Hahaha, I didn’t expect you two to be the first to pair up.” Azhang was delighted after hearing their confirmation. Ale was the youngest adult female in Qi Ze City, a child Azhang had watched grow up. He had quietly observed the new males who had joined the tribe recently. Though Ye Huo from the Salt-Water Tribe was a bit older, he was a steady, reliable man who learned quickly. Azhang was genuinely pleased that Ale could be with him.
“But your bonding ceremony will probably have to wait a couple of days. The Lion-Wolf Tribe is leaving today, and there’s still a lot to take care of.”
Ye Huo nodded in understanding. Since he and Ale had already confirmed their relationship, there was no rush.
“Why don’t we see how many pairs have gotten together this time and hold a group wedding?” Chen Qi suggested with a cheerful smile.
“That’s a good idea. It’d be livelier with more people,” Azhang replied.
Ye Huo turned to look at Ale, who gazed at Chen Qi with sparkling eyes. “Chen Qi, do you have any ideas? Will you teach us how to organize the wedding?”
Chen Qi was momentarily stunned, then replied, “Although I don’t know if I can make it good, I can help if you’re willing.”
Ale nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. “Willing, willing.”
Today was, after all, the day the Lion-Wolf Tribe was departing. Even if Azhang wanted to slack off, he couldn’t stay long. After chatting a bit longer and finishing breakfast, everyone went their separate ways.
Not long after leaving Chen Qi’s house, Azhang was stopped on the road by Bo De. But since Qi Ze City was bustling with people during the day, and Azhang didn’t have a pleasant expression toward him, Bo De only exchanged a few words before they parted unhappily.
What frustrated Azhang was not understanding how this former chief suddenly got the idea of wanting to be his mate. He wasn’t young anymore, and back when he was in the Rock Mountain Tribe, he had given that man plenty of trouble. There were plenty of strong, single females in the Lion-Wolf Tribe—so why would he go out of his way to come here and ask to be his mate?
However, Azhang had no mind to think about why Bo De did that. Qi Ze City still had many things that required his arrangement, and he had no time to bother with someone he had always disliked.
Several females wearing fur clothes were running across the wilderness. They were scouts from the Lion-Wolf Tribe who had gone out early to check the road conditions.
The females did not investigate the main gate where the ironshell-drakes had appeared. Instead, they took a detour, leaving through the back gate, circling widely before arriving at the Chishui River. There was no massive trunk across this part of the river, but the females had clearly come prepared. Before long, they selected an acacia tree nearby, stripped it of all branches and leaves, then felled it and laid it across the river. A crude wooden bridge thus appeared before them.
The females circled around once more, and after confirming there was nothing unusual, they returned to Qi Ze City.
Not far across the Chishui River stood a tall fig tree, beneath which grew a thick patch of white grass. A young hyena-drake lay quietly hidden there, its scent perfectly masked by the smell of figs. Even the vigilant females on the other side of the river failed to detect anything unusual.
Only after the females completely disappeared from view did the hyena-drake slowly rise and leave the patch of grass. Not far away, five or six other hyena-drakes were resting atop a termite mound. The hyena-drake went over and said something to them, and the ones that had been lazily lying down all stood up. The leading hyena-drake let out a low growl, and all of them departed in an orderly fashion.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
Although the Lion-Wolf Tribe had not found any successful matches this time, their trade had gone very well. They had not only hunted many dragons but also exchanged their goods for various supplies. In just a short time, they had learned papermaking, bamboo weaving, sewing, and other skills from Qi Ze City.
The people of Qi Ze City did not keep anything secret. As long as someone wanted to learn, they were happy to teach. The whole beastman world was still too primitive, and Chen Qi hoped to spread ways to make life more convenient. However, the Lion-Wolf Tribe did not take advantage for free—they gave more than half of the materials they brought as payment for learning.
After the scouting females returned and confirmed there were no signs of dragon activity along the route, the Lion-Wolf Tribe and the Flame-Hill Tribe bid farewell to Qi Ze City and departed. When they had come, their group had been large and impressive; now, with many dragon corpses carried back, the departing procession looked even grander.
Once the two tribes had completely left, Qi Ze City suddenly felt spacious and quiet again. The abrupt silence was somewhat unsettling.
Perhaps only Chen Qi felt that way. The other beastmen, after seeing the Lion-Wolf and Flame-Hill Tribes leave, simply shut the gates and continued their usual work. With the first snow approaching, everyone in Qi Ze City had begun preparations for winter.
As soon as the Lion Wolf Tribe left, Azhang came to Chen Qi’s home carrying a hide backpack. When he opened it, a strong smell of sulfur hit him immediately.
“Sulfur?” Chen Qi put down his work and leaned closer. The backpack was filled with chunks of sulfur ore, quite different from the powdery form he had seen before.
“This was given to me by Ayan,” Azhang said. “He asked me to check if it’s the sulfur you were looking for.”
Azhang had heard Chen Qi mention gunpowder before and the kind of power it possessed. The materials other tribes had contributed as study fees were all stored together, but Azhang didn’t want news about gunpowder spreading too soon. So when he first received what might be sulfur, he hadn’t immediately brought it to Chen Qi. Ayan had described in detail the location where these stones were found—if they truly were a raw material for gunpowder, they could send people to mine more later near the Flame-Hill Tribe’s old territory.
Chen Qi naturally knew that gunpowder was not something that simply improved living conditions. Although he wasn’t yet sure how powerful what he could make might be, it was not something to reveal to other tribes right away. For now, only a few of his close friends knew anything about its potential power; even most of Qi Ze City remained unaware.
After receiving the sulfur stones, Chen Qi was delighted and couldn’t wait to find a corner of his yard to start experimenting.
Azhang, who had finished arranging all other matters before coming over, followed to see what Chen Qi was working on.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
The Lion-Wolf Tribe’s returning party had been traveling across the wilderness for two days. With their large numbers, the line of travelers stretched long. It was a moonless night, and they didn’t plan to march after dark, so they decided to stop early to rest. However, they had misjudged the time—by the time they found a comfortable spot, the sun was already setting.
Bo De waved for the stragglers in the rear to hurry and catch up.
Just then, a strong hyena-drake suddenly burst out from the tall grass, lunging straight at the last beastman female in the group. Perhaps because they were close to resting, his vigilance had relaxed a little; he didn’t react until the creature’s sharp teeth pierced his flesh.
The beastmen around him froze for a moment, reflexively dodging the hyena-drake’s attack. When they realized one of their companions had been dragged down, they quickly transformed and were about to help. But the hyena-drake that had attacked didn’t intend to fight—it immediately began retreating with its prey. At that moment, several more hyena-drakes burst from the grass, blocking the others’ path. Under their cover, the one gripping the female’s throat dragged him swiftly into the tall grass. The rest fended off a brief round of attacks before retreating just as quickly, showing no desire to continue the fight.
The entire attack happened too fast. By the time the females at the front realized what had occurred, the hyena-drakes had already vanished into the tall grass with their prey. A few tall fig trees grew nearby, their scent masking the smell of blood. If not for the bright red stain on the ground and the absence of one of their own, no one would have believed they had just been attacked by hyena-drakes.
Words from the Translation Crew
Miiya: Returned a day earlier than originally planned, so why delay the post? Happy day after turkey day!
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.
