Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains 191
Chapter 191
Chen Qi was turning over the snow-goose feathers drying under the sun. Hearing what Ake said, his eyes lit up. He had been wanting to get a mount for a long time. Previously, he simply hadn’t run into any animals suitable for riding. But now that all the animals on the plains had returned from migration, if he could tame a wild horse, he wouldn’t have to make Aze carry him on long trips anymore.
“Where did you see them?”
“Not far from the snow-geese nesting grounds. Just walk a bit farther upstream along the Chishui River.” Ake pulled out his portion of baked-in-mud snow goose, neatly cracked open the blackened crust, and replied.
To make dealing with prey easier, they had set up camp near the Chishui River. Chen Qi nodded, planning to wait until Ake finished lunch and rested a little before heading out.
Chen Qi took a clay cup from his backpack, then pulled a few prepared dried flowers from a small cloth pouch, dropping them into the cup. After pouring in half a cup of boiling water and letting the flower tea steep, he carried it over to Aze. “Tired? Want to nap for a while?”
Aze accepted the tea and shook his head. He tugged Chen Qi down to sit beside him, gathered a few of the leaves he’d plucked earlier, and gently fanned Chen Qi to cool him. Ever since he’d spent those few days unconscious, Chen Qi worried about him tiring too easily. Now, Chen Qi insisted on doing almost everything himself, never letting Aze lift a finger. Although it felt nice to be cared for so carefully, Aze was, after all, the female in their pairing—he should be the one looking after his mate.
Chen Qi took the leaf-fan from his hand, leaned against him while fanning himself. The temperature had shot up right after the thunderstorm. Just cooking lunch had left his clothes almost completely soaked in sweat. Aze’s body, however, was cool—like a giant walking air conditioner. Being close to him made the heat around Chen Qi fade noticeably.
“I wonder if your body temperature has anything to do with the lethargy last time… Your temperature wasn’t this low last year.” Chen Qi rested his head against Aze comfortably, but couldn’t help muttering his worry.
“Don’t worry. I know my own body best. If anything felt wrong, you’d be the first to know.” Aze wiped the sweat from Chen Qi’s forehead and soothed him with a smile.
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 didn’t pursue the topic further. He was still worried, but saying too much might make Aze overthink things. “Drink the tea while it’s hot. Your body’s too cold—this should help a little.”
He’d added a few slices of wild ginseng to the tea, good for replenishing qi and blood. He wasn’t sure how effective it would be, but it was still better than nothing.
It was the first time Ajing and the little wolf cub had stayed out in the wild for so long. After eating, they darted into the nearby grass, rummaging around for anything interesting. Since they were out in the open, Ashu was worried for the two little ones’ safety and followed closely to keep watch over them.
After Ake finished his meal, they rested a while longer. Only when the sun wasn’t as harsh did they head out in search of the wild horse herd.
There were no large predators in this region, so the herbivores were relaxed and unguarded. When they finally found the herd, the wild horses were resting under an acacia tree for shade.
The herd was small—barely more than a dozen horses, including four or five foals. Their coats were mixed in color, mostly reddish-brown with scattered markings. Only one foal stood out—a completely snow-white little one, strikingly eye-catching among the group.
Aze liked the white foal immediately. Since Chen Qi wanted a horse, that beautiful little one would be perfect.
He took off the fur backpack he was carrying and handed it to Chen Qi, whispering, “Stay here and watch our things. I’ll go catch the horse.”
“Be careful.” Chen Qi actually wanted to try catching a wild horse himself. The full-grown ones were too strong and potentially dangerous, but with his current strength, catching a young foal seemed doable. But that thought could only stay in his mind—Aze would absolutely never let him take such a risk.
Ake also handed the luggage he was carrying to Ashu, instructing him to protect Chen Qi and Ajing. The size and strength of a wild horse were nothing like those of a snow goose—there was no way he could leave a male and an underage female on their own.
Ashu pouted. He actually wanted to try catching a wild horse, too, but he knew he wasn’t as strong as Aze and Ake. All he could do was lead Ajing and Chen Qi up a nearby acacia tree, where they stayed perched, watching the two beastmen slowly approach the herd.
The little wolf cub was carried up by Ajing and crouched on a branch. From their vantage point, they could see everything clearly.
Aze held a lasso at his side. When they had rested earlier, Chen Qi had explained in detail how to catch a wild horse. After exchanging a few quiet words with Ake, the two split up, each moving toward their chosen target.
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’s target was the foal standing at the very edge of the herd. Whether it was because its coat was so different from the rest, the herd seemed slightly repelled by it—there was even a subtle sense of them isolating it from the others. But this just made it more convenient for Aze.
The lasso hung at his hip as he walked forward at a slow, steady pace. The herd didn’t react much to the beastmen’s approach—only a few horses lifted their heads from grazing, eyes wary but calm.
The white foal tried to approach a nearby adult mare for protection, but the mare merely nudged it away with her head. After driving the foal off a short distance, she turned and walked away with another mottled foal, leaving the white one behind. The abandoned foal circled in place anxiously. Its big, round eyes looked straight at Aze, two puffs of breath flaring from its nostrils as its forehooves pawed nervously at the ground.
Aze raised the hand not holding the lasso and slowly approached, intending to calm it down. But the foal suddenly bolted.
Aze reacted instantly. Almost the moment the foal moved, his lasso whipped out, landing perfectly around the foal’s neck. As soon as it tried to run, the rope tightened. The foal dragged Aze forward a few steps, but Aze quickly braced himself and stopped it cold. He was strong—much stronger than the newborn-looking foal. With one sharp tug, its legs faltered and it toppled to the ground.
By now, the herd had reacted as well. Seeing one of their own caught, they burst into a panic and fled—not like elephants with herd instincts; as long as they weren’t the ones caught, they didn’t care what happened to the others.
But as they galloped past a patch of high grass, a lasso suddenly flew out and looped around the neck of an adult mare. The horses spooked and scattered wildly. They didn’t regroup until they’d put some distance between themselves and the grass. They were fast—by the time Ake was dragged out of the grass by the mare, the herd was already far away.
“Too bad. Only two caught.” Ashu watched the retreating shapes with regret. His fingers brushed the rope hanging from his waist, itching to rush down.
“They’re not quite caught yet,” Chen Qi said, worry creeping into his voice as he watched Aze. Even though Aze had gone for a foal and wasn’t in real danger, Chen Qi’s heart had still leapt when he saw Aze dive onto it. He pressed a hand against his chest, brows furrowed.
After throwing the foal down, Aze quickly tied its struggling legs. He’d planned to go after a second one, but the herd was already long gone. A quick glance toward Ake showed him managing fine without help. So Aze hefted the tightly bound foal onto his shoulder and headed back to the acacia tree.
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 adult mare was far stronger than the foal, but the lasso was sturdy. Every time she struggled, it dug deeper into her neck, leaving a harsh mark on her reddish-brown coat, even drawing a thin line of blood. She screamed in pain, hooves striking out wildly as she thrashed.
Ake wrapped the end of the rope around his arm several times so she couldn’t break free. Then he edged forward, wary of her hooves as he forced her to circle with the rope.
The rope was pulled so tight that the mare was struggling to breathe. Having wasted her strength flailing, she finally quieted after a tense standoff.
Ake didn’t dare relax. In the past, he had caught wild horses while hunting, but that had always ended in a kill. Catching one alive was far more troublesome. Waiting until the mare had calmed enough, he slowly moved closer.
The mare was already foaming at the mouth, her legs wobbling. One more hard pull and she would’ve collapsed.
Ake stroked her face a few times to soothe her, then finally loosened the rope around her neck. After she managed a few shaky breaths, he led her toward the acacia tree.
Seeing Aze return with the foal, Chen Qi hurriedly climbed down from the tree—completely ignoring the foal as he grabbed Aze and checked him from head to toe. If people hadn’t been watching, he probably would’ve ripped off Aze’s clothes to check more thoroughly.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine. Not hurt at all.” Aze dropped the foal on the ground and stood still, letting Chen Qi inspect him.
Watching this display, Ake rolled his eyes. Since when had Chen Qi been this clingy? With Aze’s strength, there was no way he’d get injured catching a tiny foal—he might not even get hurt catching a full-grown horse.
With the adult mare nearby, the foal didn’t struggle as wildly as before. Aze loosened the ropes on its legs, and it rolled upright immediately, trying to put distance between itself and the beastmen. But the rope around its neck kept it within range, leaving it pacing anxiously in a small circle.
The mare, however, looked exhausted. The strangling mark on her neck was deep, and faint traces of blood seeped through—clear evidence of how violently she had fought earlier.
Words from the Translation Crew
Miiya: 1 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.
