Chapter 360: My Country

People came running one after another, eager to sleep on the heated brick bed that stayed warm all winter.

After trying it, they were filled with envy, each clenching fists and rubbing palms, preparing to fire more bricks and tiles to build their own beautiful houses, which absolutely needed a warm heated brick bed inside.

For a while, enthusiasm for building houses in the Snow Tiger Tribe reached an unprecedented high.

With the heated brick bed in the bedroom, the remaining tables and chairs were much simpler; handing them to Yuan Lang would suffice, since she truly knew nothing about mortise-and-tenon technique.

As the main personnel for house construction, Teng Qian and Tengkun naturally received the enthusiastic pursuit of many tribespeople.

Many young females even set their sights on the two solitary beasts, hoping to become their partners and thus live in such a warm and sturdy house.

Even a few powerful female beastman warriors extended olive branches, wanting them to become their third or fourth partner.

Seeing their faces as if they had eaten feces, Wu Yue couldn't help but chuckle schadenfreude: "In your former country, men could have many women, right?"

In ancient times, women's status was low, so this was quite common.

Yuan Lang and the others nodded: "You weren't like that back then, were you?"

Wu Yue shook her head: "Back then, women and men were already equal in status, and both could attend school…"

Seeing their puzzled expressions, she smiled and said: "That's the school in your place—you can join the army, become officials who decide the nation's fate, even queens."

Therefore, our laws stipulate that regardless of gender, one may have only one partner; having improper relations with another person during the partnership is a violation of the law.

The three beastmen's faces stiffened…

Women could attend school, join the army, become officials, and even… even become empress…

This is basically a matriarchal state, so are these young females really from a matriarchal country?

However, this law of having only one partner differs somewhat; in a matriarchal state, women can have many husbands.

Thereafter, when any female beastman extended such an olive branch, the two beastman warriors directly refused her.

"Bah, even though they're no longer in their former world, are we really going to let them become someone's concubine?"

"That's absolutely impossible!"

With Teng Qian and Teng Kun in charge of house construction, and their skills solid, whenever the tribespeople encountered any issue while building houses, they would go to them for advice.

Building the heated brick bed, laying floor tiles, crafting furnishings, installing doors and windows.

After tidying up the small courtyard, this whole process took nearly another week, and this set of model houses was finally completed.

The Snow Tiger Shaman led the way into the clean, tidy courtyard, looking at the flat ground beneath her feet, the unfamiliar tables and chairs, until she felt the warmth of the heated brick bed.

Unable to maintain her feigned composure, she exclaimed: "Such a house is far superior to the stone houses of those super-large tribes."

A house built of bricks and tiles is naturally beautiful, but this house is not only beautiful—it also retains heat.

Because it was their first construction, everyone's skills were still unrefined, so the work progressed slowly; the shaman's compound was the only courtyard in the entire Snow Tiger Tribe.

After the shaman left, satisfied, the tribespeople of the Snow Tiger Tribe lined up outside the courtyard in a long dragon.

Everyone wanted to go inside to see the beautiful house and feel the warmth of its heated brick bed.

Meanwhile, after returning to her own tent, the shaman drove away the two half-beast warriors beside her, curled up in an animal-skin blanket, and hehehe laughed all night long.

Meanwhile, the greenish oily poison scorpion beastfolk, looking at not far off the Snow Tiger Tribe beastfolk queuing to see the house, were filled with shock.

On that day, when the beastman warriors charged full force into the wall, they were also present; the beastmen's sturdy appearance was definitely not just playing around, yet this stone house suffered no damage at all.

Thinking this, their eyes instantly gleamed with sharp light.

They hadn't captured the young female the shaman wanted, and they had been detained here for an entire rainy season; if they didn't do something, awaiting them back in the tribe would certainly be no good outcome.

"Captain, that kind of house is far more beautiful than the stone houses where the shaman and chieftain of the Salt Rock Tribe live."

A poison scorpion beastfolk spoke up.

The poison scorpion beastfolk glanced at him: "Of course I know."

He constantly pondered how to learn this house-building method, most importantly the material called bricks and tiles used to construct such houses.

The hot-tempered beastman's small brain spun rapidly at this moment; after thinking it over, there was only one way: steal the knowledge!

Thus, the next day, the Snow Tiger Tribe beastfolk discovered that those greenish oily poison scorpion beastfolk had completely shaken off their previous lethargy, and even without the temptation of tasty food, they voluntarily began to help.

When things go awry, there must be a demon; the donkey that usually couldn't be spurred by whip lashes suddenly became unusually diligent—there's only one explanation: what little schemes are these greenish oily ones hatching? Moreover, judging from recent events in the tribe, it's very likely they've set their sights on our houses.

Under the leadership of this unscrupulous shaman, the Snow Tiger Tribe beastman warriors certainly aren't pure-hearted tigers; beneath their honest tiger pelts lie nothing but little black-hearted schemers.

After reporting the anomaly of the poison scorpion beastfolk to the shaman and chieftain, they secretly prepared to thoroughly clean up these green-faced beasts harboring ill intentions.

Today, while mysteriously discussing going far afield to collect special stone for house foundations, they 'accidentally' were overheard by the poison scorpion beastfolk, who asked to join them, mix some food to eat; after refusing many times, they finally agreed with a reluctant expression.

Thus, the few greenish oily ones that used to be occasionally seen in the tribe vanished completely from the Snow Tiger Tribe.

After the heavy rainy season passed, all things began to grow; the tribespeople gathered and hunted daily, and there was no shortage of food.

Now, house construction became a major affair in the tribe; without the poison scorpion beastfolk, everyone naturally felt freer to act.

To build sturdy, warm houses, learning from slaves how to fire bricks and tiles was no longer something hard to humble oneself to.

Moreover, in getting along with the slaves, the Snow Tiger Tribe members discovered that these slaves were still quite clever, of good temperament, and the tribe's atmosphere kept improving.

By this time, Wu Yue had already washed her hands of house construction, devoting herself wholeheartedly to her own planting venture.

Heaven and earth are vast, but eating is the greatest.

After the previous round of fertilizing irrigation, the malnourished taro sprouts finally began to grow, and the weeds in the field likewise grew vigorously.

To clear these weeds, Wu Yue reassigned a few of the slaves previously sent to make brick embryos.

Knowing Wu Yue valued these taro, the slaves became especially attentive; each morning, the first thing they did upon waking was to make a round of the taro field, and upon seeing any tiny weeds just sprouting, they treated them as a grave threat, insisting on digging out their roots before relenting.

With no weeds competing for nutrients, and given that the tribe's original settlement was already spacious with ample sunlight, the taro sprouts grew happily to the point of bubbling, each vying to outgrow the other, practically changing day by day.

I had thought I could witness the taro's growth from start to finish, but just after eating lunch, the tent flap was suddenly flung open, and a half-beast warrior rushed in with a solemn expression.

"Yue, hurry to the shaman's cave."

Seeing his expression, Wu Yue's heart leapt; without even asking why, she simply picked out the wild vegetable stuck between her teeth and followed the half-beast warrior toward the shaman's cave.

At that moment, in the Snow Tiger Shaman's cave, the atmosphere was extremely solemn; even the usually composed Yuan Lang had her dark brows slightly furrowed.

Seeing Wu Yue enter, they gestured for her to sit to one side.

Wu Yue only then noticed that there were actually several troublesome pronoun Black Wolf Tribe beastman warriors.

They really looked somewhat disheveled, the fur on their bodies seeming to have been scorched by something, with bald patches here and there.

"You've all seen what the Black Wolf Tribe beastman warriors look like, right? I believe everyone knows what's going on."

The fireball beasts that went out to avoid the rainy season are returning to the Polar Forest, and the Black Wolf Tribe's beastman warriors discovered their traces in the forest near our tribe's territory.

The weather will only get hotter day by day; we must quickly drive these fireball beasts back deep into the Polar Forest, or else disaster will repeat itself.

Fireball beasts? Disaster?

Wu Yue sat to the side, looking completely bewildered, "Can't you say something I can understand?!"

"Let's put off building houses in the tribe for now; keep some beastman warriors hunting, and send all the rest out to drive away the fireball beasts."

The chieftain spoke.

Regarding the chieftain's allocation, the shaman also nodded in agreement.

The beastman warriors naturally had no objections either, since it concerned the land where they had survived for generations, and naturally they would give their all to protect it.

The shaman then turned his head to look at Wu Yue: "Yue, this time you'll go with the beastfolk to drive away the fireball beasts."

His voice was full of solemnity; although Wu Yue felt a bit dazed hearing it, she still nodded: "Yes."

The chieftain led the beastman warriors away to assign tasks, while the shaman carefully explained to Wu Yue the matter of the fireball beasts and disaster.

"Fireball beasts are wild animals living deep in the Polar Forest; they have two long, sharp horns, a gentle temperament, and do not easily attack people."

Wu Yue frowned, wondering what connection such a wild animal could have with disaster.

With a good, docile nature, perhaps we could even catch a few to domesticate.

"But their dung, when dropped in the forest and dried by the sun, easily ignites and burns for a long time."

Long ago, when the people of the four tribes were cleaning up fireball beast dung, they missed a few pellets, and those few pellets nearly burned down half of the Polar Forest.

Wu Yue sucked in a breath of cold air—nearly half the Polar Forest almost burned down!

How big a fire would that take, she thought, her throat feeling dry: "How… how was that great fire finally extinguished?"

Xuehu Wu sighed, feeling deeply moved as he rubbed his wrinkled old face: "Don't you think the shamans of our four great tribes all look terribly aged?"

Hearing him ask, Wu Yue felt a faint suspicion arise in her heart, but she dared not be certain.

But the next second, Xuehu Wu confirmed her suspicion: "This is the result of our sacrifice."

Such a great fire could not be extinguished by a small river's water, and our efforts over a long time were useless.

In the end we decided to sacrifice, praying for a heavy rain to end that long, terrifying disaster.

Wu Yue's heart clenched; no wonder the tribe's people hold the shaman in such high regard—it turns out they truly can sacrifice their lives and communicate with heaven and earth.

"Fortunately we four old-timers each sacrificed half of our life force, which is how we managed to pray for the rain that extinguished that disaster."

and we few went from handsome and robust to the sorry old coots we are now.

Wu Yue's mouth twitched; actually, that last sentence emphasizing his own good looks was unnecessary to say.

"You just need to follow behind the beastman warriors this time to see for yourself; in driving away the fireball beasts and handling their dung, our shamanic power is far less useful than the beastman warriors' sense of smell."

Wu Yue nodded: "Yes."

"Alright, hurry back and pack; we'll set out tomorrow morning."

Emerging from the shaman's tent, Wu Yue let out a deep breath: "Tongzi, I now realize how little I understand about this world."

Tongzi was silent for a moment before saying: "Host, the farthest place you've been so far is the Black Wolf Tribe, right? This world is huge; beyond the Polar Forest there are many places, and many beastfolk and plants you've never seen."

Hearing him say that, Wu Yue also felt a stir of anticipation: "If I get the chance, I definitely want to go out and see more."

Tongzi nodded in agreement: "Yes, you want to go out and see, but first you must raise your strength enough to preserve your life."

Wu Yue rolled her eyes: "Tongzi, is your existence just to push me forward?"

Hearing her say that, Tongzi grew even more proud: "If you say so, then I'll gladly accept it."

The two of them, bickering, walked toward the tent, and in the distance they saw a tall figure standing there.

"Yuan Lang?"

Wu Yue felt doubtful: "Tomorrow we're setting out; aren't you going back to pack your things?"

But the beastman did not immediately answer her question; instead he frowned and looked at her: "Don't go to drive away the fireball beasts."

Wu Yue frowned upon hearing that: "Why? This is the task the shaman gave me, and I also really want to see those fireball beasts."

Yuan Lang sighed: "Fireball beasts look a lot like the oxen from our former world, and they are indeed gentle, but nobody knows whether they all gather in one place."

Their dung dries easily, and once exposed to sunlight it ignites, burning even longer than charcoal.

He turned to look at the dense forest in the distance: "Every year, many beastman warriors die in this forest while driving away the fireball beasts, and naturally some shaman disciples are among them."

Wu Yue nodded: "I naturally know that; since we've come to this world, how could there be no danger?"

In the face of danger and difficulty, what we should do is to understand and overcome it, not avoid it—I am not that kind of person.