"Xixi, what are you looking for Black Umbrellas for? You’ll die if you eat them."
Mi Lan said a beastman from the tribe had eaten a Black Umbrella before and fallen off a cliff to his death.
Qiao Xixi had read the description in the booklet; Black Umbrellas had an anesthetic effect.
That beastman had likely eaten one, suddenly fallen asleep, and then lost his footing and fallen off the cliff.
"Mi Lan, Black Umbrellas won’t kill you. They just make people fall asleep. Do you know where to find any?"
Mi Lan was skeptical, but she still said, "I do. They’re deep in the forest. If you just go a little further in, you’ll be able to see them. I’m going with the others to pick so fruit."
"Okay, we’ll go have a look then."
"Alright, be careful."
After they parted ways with Mi Lan, Jin Ling finally spoke slowly.
"Xixi, what do you need Black Umbrellas for?"
Qiao Xixi shook her head. "I haven’t decided yet, but I have a feeling they’re useful. Let’s go pick so to take back."
"Alright."
Jin Ling led the way, clearing a path. After walking for a while, a wave of damp air washed over them, carrying the faint, fragrant scent of mushrooms.
"Mother, look! Are those Black Umbrellas?"
Qiao Qiao pointed ahead in excitent.
Qiao Xixi followed her little hand with her gaze and, sure enough, saw a small patch of Black Umbrellas under a pile of dead branches.
Qiao Xixi quickly called her three cubs over.
"Co on, you can pick them with ."
"Okay."
Qiao Ang picked a Black Umbrella and sniffed it curiously.
"We can’t eat these. Why are we picking them?"
"These have dicinal value. I’ll tell you about it when we get back."
Qiao Xixi and the cubs finished picking all the Black Umbrellas in the area.
"On our way here, Mi Lan said there were Red Red Fruits over there. Let’s go take a look."
"Okay."
Suddenly, Jin Ling stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed warily on the depths of the forest.
Before Qiao Xixi could react, a brown bear beast charged out of the woods at them.
Fortunately, Jin Ling reacted in a flash, swiftly changing into his beast form and ramming into the mutated brown bear beast.
The brown bear beast was sent flying.
"Jin Ling, be careful!"
"Take the cubs and go down the mountain first."
Qiao Xixi knew her own limits; staying behind would only make her a burden. She quickly grabbed the cubs and started back the way they ca.
Just as Qiao Xixi ran out of the forest, she almost crashed right into soone.
She quickly steadied herself, took a step back, and got a clear look at the person.
It was Hong Xi.
Qiao Xixi rembered him. When she had entered the tribe yesterday, he had been following behind the tribe’s shaman.
"We ran into a brown bear beast in the forest! My friend, Jin Ling, is still in there. Can you go help him?"
The mont Hong Xi saw Qiao Xixi, a flash of astonishnt crossed his red eyes.
Yesterday, Qiao Xixi had been covered in gri, her face so dirty you couldn’t even see it clearly.
But today, her skin was fair and her features were delicate. She was more beautiful than any other female in the tribe.
’If it weren’t for her Wandering Beast bloodline, he might have considered making her his mate.’
Hong Xi averted his gaze and said to the male beastn behind him, "You guys, co with to take a look."
Qiao Xixi was grateful. "Thank you so much."
After Hong Xi left with several male beastn, Qiao Xixi led the cubs back the way they had co.
"Xixi, we’re over here!"
Qiao Xixi turned to see Mi Lan waving at her.
She walked over with the cubs.
As she got closer, she saw that several other female beastn were with Mi Lan.
Mi Lan grabbed her hand. "Xixi, Mi Qi and the others saw my backpack and they all love it. Can you teach us how to make one?"
A taller female, a white cat beastman, chid in, "I’m Mi Qi. That backpack looks really convenient. If you’re willing to teach us, we can trade you beast hides for it."
"If you like it, I can teach you."
Mi Qi’s face lit up with a happy smile. "You’re so nice! Mi Lan was right, you’re not like other Wandering Beasts."
Just as the atmosphere turned harmonious, a dissonant voice cut in.
"It only took a little trinket to trick you all. Don’t be surprised if she sells you out and you don’t even realize it."
Qiao Xixi looked up. The one who had spoken was Mi Li.
Mi Lan said disapprovingly, "Mi Li, don’t say that."
Mi Li sneered. "Mi Lan, have you forgotten that you were almost captured by Wandering Beasts before?"
Mi Lan’s face paled, and her body began to tremble with fear.
Just as she was sinking into her fearful mories, a pair of warm hands took hers.
"Mi Lan, don’t be afraid. You’re safe now. Not all Wandering Beasts are bad."
Qiao Xixi’s gentle words seed to carry a power that cald Mi Lan down.
"Xixi’s right! Mi Li, stop trying to scare people here. I was about to die yesterday, and it was Xixi’s cubs who saved ."
Seeing that she hadn’t managed to intimidate Mi Lan, Mi Li just snorted coldly and walked away.
After Mi Li left, the atmosphere beca much more relaxed.
"Xixi, didn’t you say you wanted to pick Red Red Fruits? I’ll take you."
"Okay."
’Hong Xi has already taken the other beastn to help Jin Ling, so there probably won’t be a problem over there.’
So, Qiao Xixi followed Mi Lan with her cubs to a grove of Red Red Fruit trees.
"The Red Red Fruits are up in the trees."
Qiao Xixi looked up. The Red Red Fruit trees were very tall; you’d have to climb them to pick the fruit.
Qiao Xixi looked at her cubs.
"Can you kids climb the trees?"
According to the requirents, the cubs had to complete the gathering task themselves.
"We can, Mother."
As soon as she finished speaking, Qiao Qiao placed her backpack on the ground, changed into her beast form, and leaped onto a tree, scrambling up nimbly.
Mi Lan and the others were astonished to see how quick and skillful the cubs were.
"Xixi, your cubs are still so young, yet they already know how to do everything. They’re amazing."
Qiao Xixi was gratified by her cubs’ competence, but more than that, her heart ached for them.
Qiao Ang climbed the fastest. He carefully walked out onto a branch and used his small paws to bat the Red Red Fruits down.
The Red Red Fruits rained down from the tree with a RUSTLE, and soon, the ground beneath was completely covered.
When Qiao Xixi saw they had enough, she told them to co down. The trees were simply too high, and she was worried about an accident.
Qiao Ang and the others changed back into their human forms, each carrying a large armful of Red Red Fruits as they ca before Qiao Xixi.
Their proud little expressions practically scread, ’Hurry up and praise us!’
"You all did a great job. Let’s hurry and pack up all the Red Red Fruits."
"Okay~"
There was only one last gathering task left.
"Mi Lan, do you know where to find any Grass Fruit?"
Mi Lan frowned in confusion.
"Grass Fruit? What’s that?"
"We’ve never seen any Grass Fruit."
’If Mi Lan and the others have never seen it, then it must be uncommon in this area.’
’Looks like I’ll have to find it on my own.’
Qiao Xixi continued picking fruit with Mi Lan and the others.
Mi Qi, who was walking at the front, dug an eyeball-sized yellow fruit out of the ground, tossed it aside, and complained,
"Ugh, why is it all just Yellow Earth Fruit?"
When Qiao Xixi saw the Yellow Earth Fruit, her eyes lit up.
’Aren’t those potatoes?’
’They’re a little small, but that doesn’t stop them from being delicious!’
She had eaten almost no starchy foods since arriving in the beast world; she was about to cry from craving them so badly.
"You guys don’t eat this Yellow Earth Fruit?"
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