Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains 218 (ex3)
Chapter 218 (ex3)
Since the disappearance of the hyena-drake leader, the Dora Plains experienced rarely seen true peace. Although each winter saw hyena-drakes roaming the plains, ready to hunt beastmen, the mass assault of thousands that had once swarmed the city never occurred again.
Over the past few years, Qi Ze City had expanded considerably. Chen Qi and the beastmen opened a canal to the Chishui River to irrigate the newly developed farmland. They had also discovered seeds for rice, wheat, and other crops. Now, a large tract of fertile land had been reclaimed outside the city.
The population of Qi Ze City had grown as well. An outer wall was constructed dozens of miles beyond the inner wall. Because the area was so vast, it took several years to fully complete. Aside from farmland, sections were designated as residential areas and commercial zones for trade between tribes. Each district was carefully organized, resembling a large city with a clear division of labor.
The one problem that troubled Chen Qi was animal husbandry. Winter was too harsh; animals on the plains could not survive the season. Heating the conservatories consumed enormous amounts of fuel, and dragons were so large that feeding them required far more resources than hunting in the forest. In the end, aside from the initial conservatory, no additional buildings for raising animals had been constructed.
One day, Chen Qi rode a tall white horse with Azhang and a few others to inspect the road to the Lion-Wolf Tribe. There was no suitable material for paving, so they cleared weeds and compacted the soil to make a primitive dirt road. It was a massive undertaking. The manpower of Qi Ze City alone would never have sufficed, so the Lion-Wolf Tribe sent more than half of their people to help. Together, the two tribes spent over half a summer completing the project.
With the road finished, transporting goods between the tribes became much easier. Chen Qi also introduced carts, relieving the females from carrying heavy loads. During the summer, when the plains were free of wild animals, the males could travel quickly between the two tribes on horseback. Riding soon became the skill every male wanted to learn most.
Still, the migrating animals often damaged the road, requiring annual repairs. But even so, the road greatly reduced the time needed for travel between the tribes.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
When Chen Qi returned to Qi Ze City, he saw Aze coming back with a small beastman. The little one’s clothes were messy and covered in mud, and a mop of fluffy hair hid most of its face. Even without seeing its expression, Chen Qi could sense its frustration.
Seeing this, Chen Qi rubbed his forehead and dismounted. He walked toward them. “What happened here?”
The little beastman froze at Chen Qi’s voice. Turning around, he revealed a face somewhat similar to Aze’s—but unlike Aze’s usually expressionless features, this one was brimming with a pleading smile.
“Father,” the little beastman, Chen Nian, called weakly, stopping his struggles.
From behind Aze, another small beastman about the same size piped up, “Uncle Qi, Chen Nian wanted to hunt a warthog, but the warthog knocked him over.”
“Ye Yu, shut up!” Chen Nian struggled to cover Ye Yu’s mouth, but his small strength was no match for Aze. No matter how he wriggled, he could not move him an inch.
“Hunting a warthog? Why would you go hunting a warthog?” Chen Nian was barely over seven. At this age, females sometimes learned to hunt alongside their fathers. But as a male, even if he was occasionally allowed outside the tribe, he could only watch. At most, he might try hunting small animals with a tiny wooden bow. Warthogs were strictly off-limits—even for females his age—lest the hunter become the hunted.
“He said he wants to raise a wife,” Aze said expressionlessly.
“……”
Chen Qi’s jaw dropped. He had been busy with the road to the Lion-Wolf Tribe for days and hadn’t returned to Qi Ze City. In just a few days, his son had already found a “wife”? “Who did he set his eyes on?”
“Not from our tribe,” Ye Yu blurted out loudly.
“You little—I’ll challenge you one-on-one, Ye Yu!” Chen Nian’s chubby face flushed bright red as he shook his tiny fists at Ye Yu, who stuck out his tongue.
Ye Yu would never fight Chen Nian. Chen Nian was not to be underestimated just because he was a male. He was unlike other males; even females his age might not be able to beat him.
“The Lion-Wolf Tribe?” Chen Qi asked in surprise. Only the Lion-Wolf Tribe maintained ties with Qi Ze City, even sending young beastmen to study there.
Aze shook his head. “Little Wolf said it’s the giant wolf-god who can take human form.”
“……”
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 patted Chen Nian’s small shoulder and reminded him, “Even if you want to raise a wife, you must know your limits. If you get hurt or lose your life, it would be worse than not trying at all. And who knows—someone else might take your wife.”
Chen Nian nodded, half-understanding. “So… do you agree with the wife I’ve chosen, Father?”
“……” Chen Qi felt a twinge of exasperation. Did beastmen really mature this early? Under Chen Nian’s wide, sparkling eyes, all he could do was nod helplessly.
Chen Nian let out a cheer. Aze patted the little head. “If you want to become mates, that can only happen when you’re an adult. Now, hurry back and tend to your wounds.”
Aze stepped forward to help Chen Qi lead the horse and took Chen Nian home.
The red-fruit trees in the inner city were in full season, branches bending under the weight of their brilliant fruits. Chen Qi’s household hadn’t changed much over the years, but the furniture had grown in number—most crafted by Aze himself. Only a few small items that didn’t require much effort were made by Chen Qi.
Although Chen Nian was forbidden from hunting large animals, he could still go out as long as a female accompanied him. After all, this world wasn’t like his original one; children here weren’t meant to be coddled inside the tribe.
The next morning, Chen Nian got dressed, grabbed his small wooden bow, and set off with Ajing. When they arrived at their destination, Ajing herded Chen Nian up a tall acacia tree and warned him that a pride of lions had come out, and he was not allowed to come down the tree unless they were around. Only then did Ajing and a few little females head towards their target for the day.
Chen Nian pouted, sitting idly on the trunk and swinging his little feet.
Today, Ajing’s group aimed to hunt a large herd of bison. The herd was massive; they had to disperse it before taking action, lying quietly in the tall grass and waiting for the right moment. For these half-grown females, it was the first dangerous hunt before reaching adulthood. When they became adults, they wouldn’t be hunting mere buffalo—they’d face the rulers of the forest, the stegosaurus.
Suddenly, a low, unfamiliar male voice sounded by Chen Nian’s ear, “What are you looking at?” He nearly fell out of the tree in fright.
Turning around, he saw Chen’s handsome face, and his eyes lit up. “How are you here?”
Chen held a military-green cloth strip. “My hair’s loose. I can’t tie it,” he said with a hint of frustration.
Crossing to Live in the Wilderness Plains (CLWP) is translated by Betwixted Translations. The site you’re reading this chapter on stole our translation.
“Let me tie it for you,” Chen Nian said, skillfully pulling out the small wooden comb from his backpack. He had made it the last time he helped Chen tie his hair, and later refined it under Aze’s guidance. He carried it every day, waiting for the moment he could comb his chosen wife’s hair—never expecting it would happen so soon.
Chen obediently turned his back and sat still. His long hair felt smooth and knot-free. “Want to cut it? If you’re afraid of the heat…” Chen Nian asked.
Chen tilted his head, thinking. “No. This hair will keep me warm in winter.”
“……” So he’s afraid of both heat and cold. Maybe for the first snow, he should ask his dad to hunt a fur snow bear for him. Snow bear pelts were wonderfully warm.
Soon, the hair was tied into a neat, high ponytail. Chen felt the cool air on the back of his neck and thanked Chen Nian. Then he leapt from the acacia tree, disappearing into the tall grass without lingering.
Chen Nian watched him go, a little glum. But soon, Ajing’s hunting began, and the spectacle drew Chen Nian’s attention away from Chen.
Later, whenever Chen’s hair came loose, he would seek out Chen Nian—sometimes in the wild, sometimes in Qi Ze City. How he always found him so accurately was a mystery. After combing, Chen would leave promptly.
Over time, Chen began bringing small gifts for Chen Nian—wild fruits, prey, beautiful furs, or unique stones from the plains. Each time was different. Occasionally, Chen Qi would cross paths with him; Chen would merely nod politely as a greeting, and then leave as soon as his hair was finished getting combed, without lingering.
Life in Qi Ze City was busy yet peaceful. People no longer labored endlessly for food or clothing. Schools taught various skills, and a bustling commercial district thrived. By summer, tribes from across the plain came to trade. In just a few years, Qi Ze City had become the most prosperous tribe on the plain.
After a long time, Chen Qi and Aze returned to the city wall. From there, they could see both the nearby forest and the endless plain, and looking down, the lively scenes of the city stretched before them. Aze could never have dreamed of such a sight before meeting Chen Qi.
“Thank you,” Aze whispered, holding Chen Qi’s hand and looking intently at him.
Chen Qi smiled. “Thank me for what?”
“Thank you for coming here.”
Chen Qi leaned in and kissed the corner of Aze’s lips. “En. Thank me for coming here.”
Words from the Translation Crew
Miiya: So there we have it. First translation project completed. Finally.
Thank you to all who have followed along on this journey. I hope you enjoyed this simple, cute story as much as I did. I do think I made a good pick for a story to translate while reading along. It was unique in its portrayal, where the only enemies were not other beastmen.
Special thanks to the lovely editors and proofers. Extra special thanks to fellow translator, Teo, who helped me source the 3 extras chapters. I did feel that if I had stopped at the end of the main text, I would have been rather unsatisfied with the ending. So I’m extra glad for the extras!
I’d love to hear what you all thought of the story too. Drop me a comment below or @ me on the Discord (I’m often lurking…). Tell me your favorite or least favorite part(s). Feedback on the translation is appreciated and welcomed too.
ADDITIONALLY:
While all 218 chapters will remain available for viewing on this website indefinitely, for those who want an offline copy for some reason, I have cleaned and compiled the fully translated CLWP into digital copies (PDF and EPUB), available via Kofi shop. If you had sent me a Kofi before, you should have received information on how to claim it for free from the Kofi shop. If anyone has questions or run into any issues with it, please feel free to reach out to me on Discord/Kofi. Once again, thank you for supporting me on this journey.
ADDITIONALLY ADDITIONALLY:
Mknight and Yume are continuing with me into the next translation project – Two or Three Events in the Last Days. Project page and pilot chapter were posted earlier in the week, and Chapter 2 was just posted. Looking forward to this next adventure!
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.
