Chapter 89: The Importance of Literacy

It's just that the items are being gathered; whether the female consents to a mate bond with the male is a separate matter.

After seeing Yun Li hesitate for a moment, she still took the water caltrop, and Chang Yue's gaze at the female grew increasingly gentle.

"By the way, I think I still don't know you and your Beast Husband's names."

Yun Li could only laugh and cry at his remark; she doesn't even know what her own name is, and he, just for courting her, so generously fetched the antidote pills?

"I am Yun Li, and he is my First Beast Husband Mu Qing."

Hearing that Yun Li actually made Mu Qing, a Snake Beastman, her First Beast Husband, Chang Yue's look at her became increasingly fiery.

However, when Yun Li introduced Gong Mei and the others to him, he didn't forget to respond.

"My name is Chang Yue; in the future, when you come here to wander, if you encounter any unsolvable problems, you can report directly to the Patrol Team with my name."

Out of consideration for Yun Li, Chang Yue decided not to deliberately scare them any longer.

Gong Mei and Xin exchanged glances, both not refusing Chang Yue's friendly overture.

Even though the two Tribes are now hostile, it hasn't escalated to a life‑or‑death clash, so they didn't adopt an evasive attitude toward Chang Yue.

Moreover, any Beastman with eyes can see that Chang Yue's thoughts are on Yun Li.

The only question is whether a Snake Beastman from the Youbuluo pursuing a female of the Silver Eagle Tribe is planning to live apart for years to come.

……

After leaving the area where the Youbuluo Beastmen reside, Chang Yue didn't keep finding excuses to stay by their side; instead, he thoughtfully pointed out which stalls had items that might interest the females, then left on his own.

"A Li, what do you think of this Chang Yue?"

Xin walked beside Yun Li, beginning to subtly probe Yun Li's opinion of Chang Yue.

She has no standing to intervene in Chang Yue's pursuit of Yun Li, but as a friend she still wants to tell her something in advance.

Otherwise, if Yun Li only discovers after pairing with a Snake Beastman from the Youbuluo that her Beast Husband can't stay by her side, wouldn't she be heartbroken?

Mu Qing, holding Lao San behind Yun Li, remained silent, but upon hearing Xin's question, he also gave part of his attention to listening.

Yun Li thought for a moment, then answered honestly, "Not hateful, but I wouldn't say I like him."

And holding the antidote pills he gave, she felt indebted to him and wanted to return something.

"I see."

After a pause, Xin said, "Although you don't feel any affection for him now, there's something I think I should tell you in advance.

The Tribe has long been in conflict with the Youbuluo; many Beastmen have lost relatives at the hands of the Youbuluo's Snake Beastmen, so they harbor strong hostility toward Snake Beastmen.

The reason your First Beast Husband can be accepted by the Tribe is largely because he's not a Youbuluo Beastman, yet even so, your First Beast Husband cannot join the Tribe's Hunting Squad.

You already know this, so if one day you truly fall for Chang Yue, you'll have to consider a lifelong separation.

Otherwise, if he dares to enter the Tribe, those Beastmen who lost relatives to the Youbuluo's Snake Beastmen would definitely want to kill him."

Hearing that, Yun Li's face showed no surprise.

After all, when Mu Qing first arrived, Xin had already mentioned this.

This time she just said it more clearly.

"I know; if that day ever comes, I will carefully consider what you said."

If she truly likes Chang Yue, lifelong separation is indeed a problem, but the one who would suffer more certainly isn't her.

So let's set this aside for now, and discuss it when she eventually likes Chang Yue.

Meanwhile, after Leng Xiu talked with Ji Xuan, his furrowed brows never relaxed.

Leng Xiao handed him the two large cubs, kept the smallest himself, and asked, "What exactly is going on that the Silver Eagle Tribe insists on using females for that trade?"

"The matter is a bit complicated."

Leng Xiu rubbed his forehead and said, "The Youbuluo currently holds the elder clan chief of the Silver Eagle Tribe; that chief enjoys great prestige within the Silver Eagle Tribe, and many Beastmen still remember him.

Moreover, among the Beastmen being exchanged, there's an old Beastman who knows the script of the outside tribes."

"That Beastman is literate?"

Leng Xiao exclaimed in surprise.

Perhaps many Beastmen in the Heiyan Shanmai don't understand how important literacy is, but Leng Xiu and his group learned from their grandfather that Beastmen of the great outside Tribes can read and write; they use characters to convey messages and conduct trades.

Even though they don't know how to trade using writing, Leng Xiao remembers his grandfather recounting how he was deceived because he couldn't read, and the bitter expression he showed when the outside great Tribes looked down on him.

Thus, to travel beyond the Heiyan Shanmai, literacy is an essential skill.

"Mm."

Leng Xiu lowered his eyes as he spoke, "They asked us to consider, and even suggested Ji Xuan become our female's Beast Husband; it's likely they're determined to take several females to complete the trade with the Youbuluo."

"Stalling for time, huh? Once those females are sent out, they'll have all the time they need to wear me down."

Thinking of this, Leng Xiao couldn't help mocking, "The Beastmen of the Silver Eagle Tribe really are something."

"Enough!"

Leng Xiu glanced at his younger brother and said, "While they haven't acted yet, let's first go find A Li to discuss how to resolve this."

If striking from the Silver Eagle Tribe's side isn't feasible, then perhaps, as A Li said, we can only go negotiate properly with the Youbuluo Beastmen.

But in that case, they'd have to move quickly.

Yun Li still didn't know that Leng Xiu's side was not progressing smoothly; at this moment she was looking at the items on the Scorpion Tribe's stall.

The entire stall was filled with poison concocted from toxic herbs, venomous insects, and the Scorpion Tribe Beastmen's scorpion venom.

Gong Mei and Xin, surprisingly, didn't shy away from this stall full of poisons and selected items with great enthusiasm.

"A Li, aren't you picking a few jars? The Scorpion Tribe's poison is quite good."

"Both you and A Yu are weak; it's best to carry some poison on you."

"So if anything happens, you can use the poison for self‑defense."

After Gong Mei finished picking, seeing Yun Li still unmoving, she couldn't help urging her a couple of times.

Yun Li smiled at Gong Mei and said, "I know, I'm just about to pick some."

Just as Gong Mei said, she is weak, and carrying poison indeed gives her a bit more self‑protection.

But she doesn't understand at all what the poisons on the stall are for, so she was just listening to Gong Mei and the others tell the stall owner what each poison does.

Most of the poisons on the stall are lethal; the ones Gong Mei and Xin exchange are of that kind, while the non‑lethal, slow‑acting poisons are considered too useless in their eyes.

But Yun Li is very interested, especially in a poison made from drowsy herb that can make beastfolk temporarily lose the sense of pain.

The Scorpion Tribe's beastfolk say they often use this poison to hunt large prey.