Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains 154
Chapter 154
The next day, Ajin was able to stand and walk. Ai Li replaced the herbs on him and, having learned Aze’s earlier method, re-wrapped each wound carefully with cloth strips.
The first snow had passed, and Ajin’s fur had all been retracted. Previously, some fur had obscured the view, but now the deep wounds, almost exposing bone, made Ai Li frown. Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped, and with a female’s natural recovery ability, healing was only a matter of time.
Because of the blood loss, Ajin’s complexion was still a bit pale, but after breakfast made from the snow bear meat, he looked much better.
Aze had turned half of the meat into jerky for the journey and kept the other half for their meals over the next two days.
“Is this fur for your child?” Ajin asked, watching Aze carefully separate the snow bear’s fur from the meat, ensuring the meat’s scent wouldn’t contaminate the fur.
“No.” Aze continued organizing his gear, then neatly slung it over his shoulder. “This is for my mate.”
Ai Li’s eyes discreetly flicked to Aze’s wrist. His fur had all been gathered back, and today he wore a long-sleeved white shirt with the cuffs loosely rolled, revealing faint lines on his wrist, almost like pregnancy marks. Had he not known he didn’t have such marks, he might have assumed he was hunting the snow bear for his own child. It was surprising that, after only a few years, he’d already stopped wearing animal hides to cover his wrists.
Ajin was stunned. It was the first time he had seen a female hunt a snow bear for his mate. Snow bears were not easy to find—some females might spend two or three years without success. “You’re very devoted to your mate,” he said. Only a female willing to spend so much time hunting a snow bear would be unwilling to let his mate suffer even a little cold.
Aze nodded naturally. “He is very devoted to me as well.”
“Once we’re ready, let’s hurry back,” Ai Li interrupted. He was anxious to return. If not for concern over Ajin’s injuries, he would have left immediately after escaping the hyena-drake attack. Staying outside longer now was pure torment.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
Ajin also understood the other party’s mood and patted Ai Li’s hand apologetically to comfort him.
Aze said nothing further, taking the initiative to carry their luggage and lead the way. Ajin was still too injured to carry Ai Li, so Ai Li supported him from behind. Despite his inner anxiety, he could only focus on keeping up the pace patiently.
Ordinarily, Aze could cover a day’s journey in one stretch, but today, by nightfall, they had yet to complete even a third of it. During the evening rest, Ai Li made Ajin finish eating quickly and sent him to bed. Only by letting Ajin recover as fast as possible could they shorten travel time. He knew Aze couldn’t carry him, and at his own pace, returning to the tribe would take several more days. Time was their greatest constraint.
After pouring a little water over the heatgrass in his backpack and confirming that Ajin’s wounds hadn’t reopened, Ai Li settled down by the warm fire and fell asleep. Normally, he seldom walked such long distances, and after days of travel, exhaustion overtook him quickly.
There were no trees in the area tall enough to lie under, so the three rested beneath a fig tree. Aze didn’t dare sleep fully, instead sitting against the trunk with eyes half-closed, dozing lightly. Several days without proper rest had left his eyes dark and bruised.
Feeling movement beside him, Aze suddenly looked up and saw Ai Li approaching with a piece of hide. Surprised that Aze had opened his eyes, he looked a bit embarrassed, then coughed softly and said, “You can sleep for a while. I’ll keep watch in the middle of the night.” He handed over the hide.
After the first snowfall, nights were cool. Aze didn’t take the hide, only glanced at him briefly before closing his eyes again. “If you want to get back to the Lion-Wolf Tribe sooner, go to sleep earlier,” he said firmly. He couldn’t allow him to keep watch while he slept.
Since leaving the Rock Mountain Tribe to live alone on the plains, Aze had always slept with a degree of vigilance. He didn’t dare sleep fully until meeting Chen Qi. After only a few days outside, returning to his old habits felt unfamiliar.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
Aze sighed silently, wishing he could go home immediately.
Seeing the snow disappear overnight, Chen Qi was still amazed by how the world didn’t always conform to his expectations.
After the first snow, the Salt-Water Tribe beastmen prepared to return to their own tribe. Early in the morning, Chen Qi carried the books he had copied and bound with Ajing to the dormitories to give to Axu. The books, a gift to the tribe, contained planting methods for various plants and explanations of known herbs, all carefully illustrated with color images.
Axu wasn’t in the dormitory, so Chen Qi handed the materials to Ashu. Since Ale had confirmed his relationship with Ye Huo, Ashu had moved in. Watching him sluggishly pack, Chen Qi found it amusing. “Why are you only packing now, when you’re about to leave?”
Ashu noticed Chen Qi’s eyes light up and curled his lips. “I will have to wait until next year to come here again. So I spent last night chatting with Ale on the city wall.” Later, Ale even stuffed a lot of things into his hands; otherwise, he would have been packed up long ago.
Chen Qi looked at the bluish tinge beneath the corner of the other’s eye, went over to help, and reminded him to put away the books he had sent. “Everyone’s getting ready to go. Why isn’t Axu here?”
“Maybe he went to say goodbye to the others.” Ashu shook his head. He hadn’t seen his brother since he came back.
After helping Ashu finish packing his luggage, Chen Qi was about to leave when Ashu couldn’t help calling out to him again.
“What’s wrong? Do you need anything else?”
Ashu tugged at the hem of his clothes, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “I’ll come again next summer.”
“En, you’re welcome to come again.”
Although they had only spent a few months together, not only was Ashu reluctant to leave, Chen Qi was also reluctant to see them go. After today, the place would surely become much quieter. As he walked, Chen Qi looked around. There weren’t many people on the road, but he could see figures moving inside many houses — probably everyone was taking the last moments to say their farewells.
Just as Chen Qi reached the city gate, the door of Ahxu’s house suddenly slammed shut with a loud bang. The sound clearly showed how much force the person who slammed the door had used.
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 looked toward the source of the noise in confusion and caught a glimpse of Axu hurriedly leaving Ahxu’s courtyard with a frown. Although it was only a glance, the gloomy expression on his face startled Chen Qi — he had never seen Axu look like that before.
Did they… quarrel?
Outside the city gate, some females had already re-woven the bamboo matting over the moat and spread a thin layer of dry grass on top as camouflage. The blood from the ironshell-drakes that came last night had been washed away by the melted snow, and even up close, there was no longer any scent of blood.
Because dragons had appeared the previous day, Azhang had personally led the patrol team to scout the surroundings early that morning. Once they returned and confirmed that the road was clear, the people of the Salt-Water Tribe were to depart and return home.
At this matchmaking gathering, not many males from the Salt-Water Tribe stayed behind. Besides Ye Huo, there was one male who had paired with a middle-aged female from Qi Ze City. Several females who had lost their loved ones decided to stay after consulting Axu. For this, Azhang had sent them many things for Axu to bring back.
“I’ll miss you,” Ashu said hoarsely. Ashu’s eyes filled with mist as he hugged Ale tightly around the waist, ignoring Ye Huo’s warning glance.
Ale also couldn’t bear the other’s departure, so he hugged him without saying a word.
The others’ moods were also somewhat low, especially the females who had arrived early in Qi Ze City. They gathered beside familiar faces, listening to the older ones nagging them to be careful on their journey.
“Why didn’t Ahxu come?” Chen Qi glanced at Axu, who stood quietly aside, patiently waiting while the clansmen said their farewells. Remembering the slamming sound from earlier, he lowered his head and asked the person next to him.
“He went fishing at the Chishui River with Ake just now,” Ka Luo replied.
Chen Qi raised his eyebrows slightly and didn’t ask further.
After the farewells were mostly over, the Salt-Water Tribe left Qi Ze City in a grand procession. The city gate that had been so lively just moments before suddenly grew quiet, leaving an uncomfortable emptiness. A few females, reluctant to part, even escorted the Salt-Water Tribe all the way across the Chishui River before reluctantly returning.
“Since you’re so unwilling, why don’t you just go with him?” Ake skillfully cleaned the freshly caught fish and asked the person staring blankly beside him,
Ahxu came back to himself and tossed a few small fish from the net back into the Chishui River.
“Are you worried that the people of the Salt-Water Tribe won’t be able to accept two females together?”
“I’m not together with Axu,” Ahxu explained softly, lips pressed tight.
Ake glanced at Ahxu’s overly neat clothing — even the top button of his shirt was fastened, covering his neck completely. “Was the mark on your neck bitten by a mosquito-dragon?”
Ahxu turned his head awkwardly, his face flushing bright red. He didn’t know how Ake had seen through what had happened between him and Axu.
Seeing that Ahxu just lowered his head in silence, Ake said nothing more. After finishing with the remaining two fish, he finally spoke. “If you go now, you might still catch them. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until next summer. I remember Axu is supposed to be the next patriarch, right? The Salt-Water Tribe may not be big, but there’ll be plenty to do. I’m not sure he’ll be able to come again next year.”
Ahxu’s ears twitched slightly. After a long pause, when Ake dragged the fish from the second round of nets ashore, Ahxu stood up, hesitated, then gritted his teeth. “I’ll be away for a bit,” he said, and before Ake could reply, he ran off downstream along the Chishui River.
Walking at the back of the group, Axu’s face was grim. He couldn’t understand why, after he had agreed to let several clansmen stay in Qi Ze City, that person still refused to leave with him. Was it because he was a female? And why hadn’t he even come to see him off?
Axu was in a foul mood — he even felt the impulse to rush back and fight the man.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Axu looked up toward the Chishui River. On the top of a tall acacia tree in the distance, Ahxu stood straight, gazing in the direction where the Salt-Water Tribe was departing.
“Brother, why did you stop?” Ashu saw Axu suddenly stop and turned around to call out to him.
“You go on ahead, I’ll catch up later,” Axu said, waving to Ashu before turning and running toward the acacia tree.
Ashu looked doubtfully in the direction Axu had gone and seemed to see a shadow nimbly jump down from the tree. Though he couldn’t make out the figure clearly, he knew it must be a beastman from Qi Ze City — perhaps his brother had forgotten to say something.
Ashu didn’t concern himself further with his brother’s business and quickly turned to catch up with the group.
Words from the Translation Crew
Miiya: Away next week, posting the chapter this week. Happy new year!
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.
