Chapter 238: Researching the Exit Route

She does have a map, having exchanged it from the Transport who have already left, but the map is just lines and doodle‑like symbols, with no characters at all; even the Priest and Mu Qing couldn't make out anything when they got it, so it would be a miracle if Yun Li could figure out anything.

But seeing Luosai looking like someone who knows how to read a map, Yun Li instantly became interested: "I have a map in my hand, but I can't understand it at all. Can you read it? If not, could you teach me how to read it."

Hearing that, Luosai agreed without a second thought.

So after Yun Li finished what she was doing, she brought Luosai over to Ji Xuan's side.

Since the map belongs to the Tribe, if Yun Li wants to get the map for herself to look at, she can only have Ji Xuan go to Jicheng's house to fetch it.

Ji Xuan, seeing her come to ask about the map, didn't ask for a reason; he went himself to the clan chief's house, retrieved the map, and handed it to her.

"Can he read it?"

Seeing Yun Li spread the map out for Luosai to look at first, Ji Xuan moved to stand beside his female companion, intending to observe from there.

"Give it a try."

Yun Li wasn't sure whether Luosai could read it, but the fact that no one could understand the map wasn't a problem; sometimes Yun Li even wondered whether the Transport had given them a fake map to deliberately fool them.

Fortunately, the Transport weren't truly unscrupulous enough to hand out a fake; the map that the Tribe couldn't decipher was, in Luosai's eyes, just a perfectly normal regional map.

"Here is Heiyuan, and the Heiyan Shanmai is over here."

Luosai said this while first drawing a small circle with his finger on the map, then pointing to one of the doodle‑like symbols.

Looking at that thing—whether it was a ghost face or a random scribble—Yun Li's mind filled with a huge question mark: can this symbol be recognized as a mountain range?

Not to mention each doodle‑like symbol on the map looks different; can the Beastmen even remember what each of those many symbols represents? And those lines that almost cover the entire map—are they boundaries, or are they pictorial markers describing terrain?

While Luosai explained, Yun Li tried to clarify these questions, but although Luosai could answer some of them for Yun Li, most of the time he couldn't respond to her.

After all, when he learned to read maps from others, they never explained these things; he just copied how they read maps, and that's how he reads them now.

"Yun Li Adult, I don't understand any of this at all; perhaps you should go ask the clan chief."

In the end, Luosai was truly intimidated by Yun Li's questioning; he's just an ordinary Beastman, how could he know what the Beastman who made the map was thinking.

Seeing his embarrassed expression, Yun Li felt a bit apologetic inside: "Sorry, I asked too many questions."

But she hadn't expected that when the Beastmen made the map, they'd use some beast faces as landmark names, let alone the lines; they aren't terrain or boundary lines, they're simply paths the Beastmen thought they could travel.

So, would they really never get lost this way?

……

After Luosai left, Yun Li stared at the map on the table with a look as if she were reading a celestial script.

"Is this map actually usable?"

Thinking of modern digital maps, which have 3D imagery and AI real‑time navigation, and then looking at this ultra‑primitive map before her, Yun Li felt a wave of despair.

No matter how she studied it, she couldn't see any route out of the mountain!

Ji Xuan, seeing her rarely display such helplessness, couldn't help but lean down and kiss the female's brow, "It can definitely be used; after all, he didn't say the map is wrong."

"But we still don't know their routes in and out of the mountain, we don't know how they distinguish the place they exit the mountain as the destination they want. Could it be that if they think they've taken a wrong turn after leaving the mountain, taking a longer detour is acceptable?"

Yun Li's current plans haven't yet reached establishing contact with the outside, let alone deciding which direction to develop; even if the map from Transport could be used, she doesn't know how many years it will take before it becomes usable.

"So you agreed to let that male stay by your side to learn skills, also for that reason?"

"Hmm?"

Hearing Ji Xuan say that, Yun Li let out a puzzled "Hmm", then met Ji Xuan's "Isn't that so?" gaze; she helplessly explained, "Luosai just mentioned that they're about to leave, so I thought I could casually ask him about their routes in and out of the mountain."

The route that Youbuluo had carved, although promised to be shared with the Silver Eagle Tribe when the two tribes renegotiated cooperation, has seen the two tribes' development diverge due to Yun Li's interference; rather than a true sharing, it seems Youbuluo wants to hitch a ride on the Silver Eagle Tribe's rapid development via this route, aiming for both tribes to advance together.

Yun Li didn't care much about that.

After all, in her view, if the two tribes could develop together with mutual benefit, it's better than one tribe dominating and making the other jealous, which would eventually cause all sorts of trouble.

But Jicheng and the Priest, as well as her Beast Husband Ji Xuan, probably hope even more that the Silver Eagle Tribe develops better than Youbuluo, so that in future cooperation between the two tribes they can hold more initiative, and if an irreconcilable conflict with Youbuluo ever arises, the Silver Eagle Tribe can face it without fear.

Consequently, if nothing unexpected happens, it's uncertain when this route will actually be developed.

And Yun Li doesn't want to keep waiting; she thought that since the nomadic tribes could come in and find them, they should certainly be able to go out on their own.

Unfortunately, up to now, Yun Li still hasn't found a second route out.

Ji Xuan patted her head; he didn't quite understand why Yun Li was so eager to find an exit route, but if she insists on finding one, there are actually other ways.

"Do you remember the nomadic tribe that once sent a person to block your way at the Market?"

Yun Li didn't know why he suddenly brought up that tribe.

"I remember. What happened to them?"

"Recently, those watching them discovered they've left the foothills; I sent an experienced Blue Rank Beastman with two Qing Rank Beastmen to follow them."

Seeing Yun Li's immediate interest, Ji Xuan couldn't help but grin, "So you want a safe route out of the mountain; I think good news will arrive soon."

"Really?"

Yun Li hadn't expected that, after just being frustrated about the lack of an exit route, Ji Xuan would give her such a big surprise right then.

"But didn't the previous tracking of Transport also get lost? Those nomadic Beastmen may seem careless, but I feel they've never really considered that our tribe has several Blue Rank Beastmen."

Even the nomadic Beastmen they've encountered in various situations outside can't ignore the Blue Rank Beastmen, unless among their travelers there's also a Blue Rank Beastman—or even a stronger Beastman.