Leisurely Life in the Beast World - Chapter 217

Ji Nuan’s eyes lit up instantly. She had suspected earlier that day, after noticing the crisp sweet fruits sprouting, but now it was confirmed.

“How long until the season changes?” she asked, her voice tinged with excitement. The barren Ainilu Forest during the cold season felt confining, and she longed for the gathering days of the warm season.

Grandmother smiled warmly. “About two more weeks until the rainy season begins.”

Her eyes sparkled with hope for the new year and relief at surviving another cold season.

The news that the cold season would soon end spread like wildfire, reaching every beastman family in no time. Many beastmen, whose food supplies were nearly depleted, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The rainy season—the season of hope.

“Though the end of the cold season is good news, it also means that more fierce beasts from the depths of the Ainilu Mountains will come out to hunt,” the chief, Ge Xing, said as he wiped food crumbs from his mouth.

Ji Nuan’s joy was dampened at once. Of course, the rainy season wasn’t all good. The lean times, coupled with the influx of wild beasts, made the tribe’s safety a pressing concern.

Ge Xing continued, “With the weather warming, let’s have the beastmen dig the trenches outside the walls deeper and wider to keep the wild beasts at bay.”

Ji Nuan had never personally witnessed a beast tide, but she knew its horrors. Every year, countless beastmen lost their lives to the onslaught. During her time in the cub cave, after every rainy season, orphaned cubs who had lost their fathers or even mothers were sent there to be raised.

After leaving the shaman’s house, Ji Nuan took Xiu Yan’s hand and strolled through every corner of the tribe. She stopped by the cave that had been her first home in this world. Now abandoned, the once cozy space smelled damp and lacked the inviting aroma of stored food. It felt lonely and desolate.

Suddenly, Ji Nuan stopped in her tracks and tilted her head to look at the tall beastman beside her. “Brother Xiu Yan, do you think it’s possible for us to migrate during the rainy season?”

Xiu Yan’s deep eyes met hers, and a smile tugged at his lips. “If you want to, then there’s no reason we can’t.”

Though her heart swelled with happiness, Ji Nuan still pursed her lips. “I’m serious. Wouldn’t it be dangerous to migrate during the rainy season?”

Xiu Yan thought for a moment before replying. “In the past, it might have been better not to migrate, but with the number of fierce beasts this year, migrating during the rainy season might actually be safer. At least, furred beasts hate the rain and are less likely to appear. The pressure on us would be much lower.”

Ji Nuan beamed, her mind drifting to the vast plains she had long dreamed of. Endless fields and herds of livestock filled her thoughts, and her smile radiated warmth like the noonday sun.

Two weeks and three days later, the first rain of the season arrived.

A torrential downpour startled Ji Nuan awake from her sleep. She hurriedly put on her beast hide coat and rushed to the window. Outside, in the pitch-black night, the sound of rain dominated—loud and persistent, as it splashed on the roof, the eaves, and the ground. The rain mingled with the voices of beastmen, bringing an unexpected liveliness to the night.

“Ow? Ow?” A confused cry came from the bed. Ji Nuan walked over, picked up the chubby cub, wrapped him snugly in a beast hide blanket, and carried him back to the window. She looked out at the rain-soaked world and murmured softly, “It’s raining…”