Leisurely Life in the Beast World - Chapter 173

Ji Nuan shivered as a chill ran through her. Her earlier daydream about a dashing figure was utterly shattered.

Handsome? Gone forever.

“Shaman! Bei Ni, the shaman, is here to see you!” Fu Yi’s voice called out from outside.

The shaman, busy with her herbs, dusted off her hands. “Come in!”

Bo’s mate brought a porcelain basin filled with water. After carefully washing her hands, the shaman settled on the heated stone platform.

“Sister, I have something I’d like to discuss with you,” Bei Ni began, his demeanor having grown considerably more modest since arriving at the Watson Tribe.

“Haha, our shaman!” Chief Ge Xing’s voice rang out from outside as he entered, already peeling off his beast hide coat and climbing onto the heated platform without hesitation. “Bei Ni said he needed to talk with you, and I thought—oh? He’s already here!”

Bei Ni waited for Ge Xing to settle in before speaking. “I wanted to ask if it’s possible for us to have a few houses. The caves are just too cold!”

The shaman let out a cold laugh. “Didn’t you live in caves before houses were built? I don’t remember seeing you freeze to death like a dog!”

Bei Ni’s expression twitched, and he internally lamented his sister’s sharp tongue.

“It’s like this—we’re planning to go back and bring the females and cubs here. We’d like the houses for them to live in.”

The females and cubs had weaker constitutions, so they had been left behind when the group initially set out to find refuge.

“Of course, we’ll exchange them for prey. In the past few days, our beastmen have hunted a few ferocious beasts. We can use them as barter for the houses. Is that acceptable?”

Bei Ni’s tone carried a hint of hesitation. He wasn’t entirely confident about the request but figured it was worth trying. After all, even living in the Watson Tribe’s caves was far better than staying in their old territory, surrounded by predators.

Ge Xing nodded. “It’s possible. But we only have three houses left—no more than that.”

Bei Ni’s face lit up with relief. “Three is plenty! That’s already more than enough. I’ll have the beastmen bring the prey over immediately.”

As Bei Ni left, the shaman’s expression shifted, her thoughts unclear as she watched him walk away.

“They’re back! They’re back!”

“The beastmen have returned!”

The commotion outside drew the attention of the shaman and Ge Xing, who exchanged glances before hurriedly donning their beast hide cloaks and stepping outside.

“It must be Ji Nuan and the others!” Ge Xing’s strides were large and eager as he headed toward the gates.

The shaman, supported by Bo’s mate, followed with slightly faster steps than usual, her own anticipation evident.

The creaking sound of the gate being lowered echoed as a large group of beastmen entered the walled settlement. The gate creaked again as it was pulled back up, sealing the tribe securely.

Among the crowd was Man Li, her nose running and her broad, frostbitten face tinged with a purplish hue. Her triangular eyes glared at the young female being escorted by the beastmen with an intensity of jealousy so fierce it nearly overflowed.

“Damn mountain cub! Why won’t you just die? Wherever you are, the beastmen never even glance at me, Man Li!”

Though her eyes burned red with envy, Ji Nuan had long since moved far beyond Man Li’s reach.

Bei Ni returned with the beastmen from Tumang, having made a trip back to their original territory. Along the way, they encountered a few beastmen who had initially followed Lu Te but later returned. These beastmen couldn’t bear to leave their mates and cubs behind.

The Tumang Tribe’s original territory was still surrounded by ferocious beasts. In the effort to rescue their females and cubs, many of their beastmen lost their lives. Their bodies now lay forever in the lands where their tribe had lived for generations.