Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains 187
Chapter 187
About a week into summer, the ghost needle trees around the yard began to bloom one after another. Chen Qi picked a few flowers and placed them in bamboo tubes on the windowsill as decoration. The wooden frame that had held potted plants under the window during winter had been removed, and the plants were now transplanted outdoors.
Although Ajing wasn’t very fond of the little wild rabbits, when he heard they were being raised as a food reserve, he took on the task of feeding them. Every day, when he went out to learn hunting, he also picked fresh wild vegetables. One day, he found a carrot in one of the rabbit nests and received high praise from Chen Qi.
Since the day they started raising the rabbits, Aze’s narcolepsy had grown worse. Eventually, one day, he slept for an entire day and night without waking. The other members of the tribe took turns checking on him, but no one knew exactly what was happening.
The traps Chen Qi and Aze had set outside were neglected. Ake, when returning from hunting each day, would check on them for Chen Qi. Being close to the tribe, apart from the two rabbits caught in the first couple of days, no other live animals had been captured.
After giving Aze a milk fruit, Chen Qi wiped the corners of his mouth with a towel. After several days without rest, dark circles had formed under his eyes.
Ka Luo came in carrying a pottery bowl containing freshly made noodles. Sprinkled on top were tender green wild vegetables and scallions. The broth, made from bones boiled all day, gave off a tantalizing aroma even from a distance.
“Eat a little first,” Ka Luo said, handing over the bowl, worry written all over his face. Aze had always been strong in his eyes; he never imagined the other could suddenly sleep without waking.
“En.” Chen Qi put down the towel and gratefully took the bowl. For the past few days, Ka Luo had been coming early every morning to help. Chen Qi had been sent back to the room to stay with Aze, while Ka Luo handled everything inside and outside the house. “Where’s Ayao?”
“He’s playing with the little rabbits in the yard. Don’t worry—the yard gate is closed, he can’t get out.”
Chen Qi nodded and took a bite of the noodles. They were fresh, slightly chewy, and tasted good—far better than anything he could make himself. Yet after only two bites, his appetite disappeared.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
“My brother… he…” Ka Luo sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to straighten the quilt. He wanted to ask about Aze’s condition, but knew Chen Qi didn’t have the answers. The question lingered on his lips, but he swallowed it back.
“Don’t worry, he’ll wake up.” Chen Qi still had food in his mouth; his words slurred slightly. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to comfort Ka Luo or himself.
This time, Aze’s sleep was longer than usual. He slept for three full days and nights before finally waking. When he opened his eyes, he saw only the dim glow of a candle. Chen Qi had fallen asleep on the edge of the bed, frowning, his eyelashes twitching. His right hand reached into the covers, tightly holding Aze’s hand; he had clearly not slept well.
Aze’s eyes were a little confused; he had no memory of the time he had spent asleep. After lying in bed for a while, his foggy awareness cleared. He saw Chen Qi on the edge of the bed and reached out to lift him—but as soon as his fingers touched Chen Qi, he opened his eyes.
“You’re awake?” Chen Qi’s drowsiness vanished the moment he saw Aze sit up. He reached out to feel Aze’s forehead, then gently pushed him back under the covers. “Lie down and don’t move. Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Hungry? Do you want something to eat?”
Looking at the man who was now more haggard than before he went to sleep, Aze paused, as if remembering something. “Did I… sleep for a long time?”
“Not too long.” Seeing Aze’s rosy cheeks, Chen Qi finally felt some of his worries ease.
Aze didn’t ask further. Chen Qi went to fetch the porridge that had been kept warm. Recently, Aze could only manage light foods or soup, so Chen Qi kept his meals warm, worried he would be hungry upon waking.
Perhaps he was truly starving. The first meal after waking, Aze ate heartily. After finishing a large plate of meat porridge, Chen Qi cooked several more dishes. Aze only put down his chopsticks after eating twice as much as usual.
News of Aze’s awakening quickly spread through Qi Ze City. Beastmen who had planned to go out to work flocked to Chen Qi’s house. Seeing Aze in even better spirits than before, Ake couldn’t help but say, “You don’t look sick at all.”
“I feel great now.” Aze did not lie. His energy was unprecedented, his body seemingly storing endless strength. His appetite was much larger than usual. Now, sending him to the forest to hunt even dragons would probably be no problem.
Of course, given his previous long sleep, Chen Qi wouldn’t let Aze go hunting immediately, even if he now seemed full of energy. At most, he could help with building houses in the tribe or accompany Chen Qi to check the traps around the tribe to see if they had caught any prey.
Perhaps it was the shadow of Aze’s prolonged sleep that left Chen Qi feeling uneasy; whenever Aze left his sight, he felt flustered.
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 newly planted crops in the courtyard were growing quickly. All had sprouted, with seedlings already over a finger’s length tall. Aside from a group sent out daily to hunt enough food for the tribe, the rest of the people focused entirely on construction within the settlement.
The mud roads in Qi Ze City had been renovated. Rows of houses were built behind the school and dormitories, stretching directly to the city walls. The newly incorporated beastmen from the original Salt-Water Tribe had moved in, each family taking up residence.
Amid the busy scene, Ayan—who had joined the Lion-Wolf Tribe—arrived in Qi Ze City with several beastmen. His white hair had grown noticeably, his face looked thinner, and he appeared far more gaunt than when Chen Qi last saw him.
“Why are there so many puddles outside your tribe? We almost didn’t recognize it when we first arrived.” Ayan looked travel-worn, as if he had come straight without rest.
“What’s the matter? Did something happen in the Lion-Wolf Tribe?” Achu couldn’t help worrying. When they left the Lion-Wolf Tribe, they knew a hyena-drake pack had appeared nearby. They had planned to first settle their people and then inquire about the Lion-Wolf Tribe, never expecting Ayan to arrive personally ahead of them.
Ayan gave a helpless smile and briefly recounted the situation of the Lion-Wolf Tribe to the people of Qi Ze City.
“So why have you come this time?” After hearing him, Azhang fell into thought. He already knew that the Lion-Wolf Tribe had merged many smaller tribes. With summer arriving, if those small tribes planned to settle there, construction should have already begun. Why would Ayan bring people all the way here just to deliver a message in person?
Ayan glanced around at the people of Qi Ze City, then stepped aside to reveal a small female behind him. He pointed to him. “This is Aling, a beastman who lives in the forest.”
Chen Qi looked at the small female in surprise. His skin was slightly dark, but his eyes were large. Though smaller than other adult females, his muscles were well-developed. Even from a distance, one could sense the explosive power coiled within him. There was no doubt he was a formidable beastman.
“There are beastmen tribes in the forest?” Chen Qi asked Aze quietly. As far as he knew, forests were almost entirely occupied by dragons. Most beastmen chose the plains to avoid them. How could anyone survive deep in the forest?
“Of course there are. Ai Li came from the forest,” said Ka Luo, sitting nearby, his lips curling in distaste. He still harbored resentment and felt no sympathy for beastmen from the forest.
Azhang also paused, looking at Aling and then at Ayan, waiting for more explanation.
Like Qi Ze City, the first priority in the Lion-Wolf Tribe at the start of summer was building houses. But unlike Qi Ze City, they lacked the skill to build with mud bricks. Their houses were still constructed from large stone slabs. Continuous torrential rains had left many weak beastmen with high fevers. Besides venturing into the forest to gather heatgrass to treat the fevers, they also needed large stone slabs to build homes.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
And they had met Aling on one such rocky mountain while they were collecting stone slabs.
Aling and Ai Li were from the same tribe. Ai Li had been taken out of the forest by Aze years ago, while Aling had grown accustomed to forest life. Even after his tribe was destroyed and he was the only survivor, he did not intend to leave; instead he found a hidden cave in the mountain to live.
This time, he decided to leave the forest not only because he encountered Ayan and his party but also due to an event earlier that summer.
With summer’s arrival, most dragons around the forest had begun retreating to its center, leaving the nearby areas relatively safe. Aling’s food stores had run out at the end of winter. As he went out to hunt near the Sanchen River, he encountered a dark mass of hyena-drakes. Fortunately, a heavy rain was falling, which diluted his scent, and the surrounding strong-smelling weeds helped mask his presence, preventing the hyena-drakes from discovering him.
However, his hiding spot was not ideal. Any movement would have exposed him to the hyena-drakes. With no choice, he lay quietly, planning to wait for them to leave before moving.
What Aling never expected was that the apparent leader of the hyena-drake pack could speak, and beside it was a giant wolf-god that could also speak.
The giant wolf-god was tall but extremely thin, seemingly nothing more than skin and bones wrapped in fur. This stretch of the Sanchen River was not near the source, and the waters were unusually calm even under heavy rain.
It walked quietly to the riverbank, emotionless. The water lapped its feet as it felt the current across its skin. The river was tainted with the blood of its kin, cursed and poisonous, rendering each drop undrinkable to dragons.
“Regret it?” The hyena-drake leader approached and glanced down at the darkened river.
Words from the Translation Crew
Miiya: 3 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.
Thanks for the chapter ! I loved it