The Primitive Tribe is about to rise (5): Found the truth

The Grand Shaman truly lived up to his reputation as the wisest in the tribe. His mind was a treasure trove of knowledge about the world. Even though he often didn’t understand why certain plants could heal wounds or why just a tiny amount of another could knock out a massive beast, he committed all these mysteries to memory as miracles bestowed upon the world by the Beast God, never daring to forget a single one.  

When Si Qi asked him which plants could be safely eaten by beastmen, the Grand Shaman could effortlessly list every edible plant growing around the tribe. He would either pull out their seeds to show Si Qi or draw remarkably lifelike pictures from memory—even if he had only seen the plant once in his youth at a marketplace.  

In some ways, the Grand Shaman might not have been as knowledgeable as a modern person, but his diligence and attention to detail alone made him worthy of his title.  

From the items the Grand Shaman presented, Si Qi identified many edible plants—nutritious, filling, and easy to cultivate. He selected these and instructed the Grand Shaman to inform the tribe to always gather such plants when encountered and bring back their seeds. Then, he asked Chu Feng to organize the tribe in clearing and tilling the land around the settlement, removing weeds so the seeds could be planted. The resulting harvest would feed every member of the tribe, including the elderly beastmen too frail to hunt and the sub-beastmen, who lacked the physical strength of full beastmen and could only manage lighter tasks.  

When the Grand Shaman heard this, he gazed at Si Qi with a complex expression before finally sighing with emotion. “It’s good that you remember them,” he said softly.  

The Grand Shaman was old and had witnessed far more than the innocent young beastmen. He had seen elderly tribesmen grow gaunt from hunger, unable to hunt, and waste away until death. He had lived through winters where snow buried the land, food stores ran out, and desperate beastmen ventured outside only to freeze to death when their strength failed.  

Every beastman knew life was hard, but they had grown accustomed to it—to the cycles of feasting in spring, summer, and autumn, then starving through most of winter. They had never imagined another way to live.  

Until Si Qi arrived.  

He offered the Grand Shaman these solutions, painting a vision of a better future where no beastman would starve to death before his eyes.  

The Grand Shaman’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. Silently, he patted Si Qi’s hand, as if recalling the painful memories of the past.  

Then, smiling, he said to Si Qi, “Since you’re willing to share this knowledge with us, you are one of our tribe. I know your past may be complicated, but rest assured—we will all protect you.”  

The Grand Shaman was aware of the circumstances of Si Qi’s arrival—the pursuit, the danger. He also understood that a beastman who wore linen clothing and carried himself with such grace must have had an extraordinary background.  

But the Grand Shaman was kind-hearted. Instead of driving him away, he had allowed Si Qi to stay, heal, and quietly become part of the tribe.

Now, with such a promise, the Grand Shaman had fully accepted Si Qi—even if those who had pursued him came looking for trouble, the tribe would never hand him over.  

Si Qi knew how honest and trustworthy beastmen were by nature, and his heart warmed at the words. A faint smile touched his lips.  

He liked this place. Though it lacked advanced technology, the comforts of an easy life, or entertainment, he still adored it.  

“I promise,” he said, “I will make our tribe the strongest in this world. Every member will have enough to eat, and everyone will live the happiest of lives.”  

The Grand Shaman stared at Si Qi, his eyes bright and unblinking, as if seeing something extraordinary in him.  

After a long pause, he exhaled in awe. “I was right—you truly are beloved by the Beast God…”  

Si Qi blinked, wondering if there really was some unknown power in this world—something like spiritual energy from a cultivation realm or abilities from a supernatural one. Perhaps the Grand Shaman had glimpsed a unique force gathering around him, confirming that he could help the tribe grow stronger.  

But since Si Qi wasn’t a shaman himself, he couldn’t fully grasp what the Grand Shaman had perceived.  

After their long conversation, the Grand Shaman had Chu Feng gather the tribesmen and explain the importance of those seeds, urging them to memorize their appearance and bring them back whenever found.  

The tribespeople might be simple at times, reluctant to overthink complicated matters, but they always listened to the Grand Shaman. Now, they crowded around, carefully studying the seeds, turning them over in their hands, scratching their heads in frustration, afraid they might forget.  

Meanwhile, Chu Feng assigned a few tribesmen—mostly older beastmen who could no longer hunt and had been gloomily foraging for fruits—to clear and till the land. When they heard that all they had to do was remove rocks and weeds, then turn the soil, and in return, they would receive food, they were overjoyed, nodding eagerly, their faces splitting into toothy grins.  

Though they were old, they still had the strength of beastmen. This work wouldn’t exhaust them—if anything, it would be good exercise.  

Some of the more straightforward beastmen even asked Chu Feng, “You’re giving us meat just for tilling the land? That’s fine for a day or two, but can you really afford to feed so many of us for long?”  

“Yeah, even if you’re the best hunter, bringing back loads of prey every time, won’t your body give out eventually?”  

Chu Feng chuckled. “It’s not just me feeding you—the whole tribe will contribute. The land you’re clearing is for everyone. Once crops grow, the food will be shared among all. This is just giving you meat in advance so you can work for the tribe’s future.”  

The older beastmen didn’t understand at first. Chu Feng had to explain several times before it clicked—tilling wasn’t just tilling; it was planting food. The meat they were getting now was an advance payment for work that would eventually feed everyone.  

Finally, it dawned on them: they were still useful. They weren’t just aging burdens, watching helplessly as food dwindled until they withered away in silence, waiting for death.

Their hearts swelled with excitement, itching to rush to the fields right then and there—moving stones, pulling weeds, eager to prove that even in old age, they were still valuable.  

Thus, whether it was the Grand Shaman’s task or Chu Feng’s, both efforts progressed smoothly without a hitch.  

As for animal husbandry, that was easily solved too. The beastmen went out hunting regularly anyway—they just needed to bring back some live prey occasionally.  

As for feeding the livestock? That wasn’t an issue either. After all, the beastmen didn’t have much to do besides hunting. When they weren’t busy socializing with other beastmen or sub-beastmen, trying to produce offspring, they were lazing around in the sun on nice days. Spending a little time gathering grass for the animals now meant a steady supply of meat months later—what a bargain!  

When Chu Feng explained this to the tribe, everyone was instantly fired up, enthusiastically volunteering to build shelters, gather feed, and debate which animals were best to capture and which tasted the finest.  

Elvin, still sporting a bruised and swollen face from his earlier scuffle, stood in the clearing as the Grand Shaman addressed the tribe. Hearing so many unprecedented ideas at once, his mind reeled with awe and exhilaration.  

But the rabbit-eared man’s expression darkened the moment the Grand Shaman began speaking. His face twisted into something almost horrified, his gaze locked onto the shaman as if witnessing something terrifying and impossible.  

Then, when a beastman suddenly exclaimed, “Si Qi is amazing—how did he even think of all this?”—the rabbit-eared man stiffened as if struck by lightning. His head snapped toward Si Qi, his features contorted with fury.  

Seizing a moment when Elvin wasn’t paying attention, he slipped away and cornered Si Qi in the shade.  

Si Qi had been resting, watching the lively discussions from afar, when the rabbit-eared man stormed over with a face like thunder. Si Qi blinked in confusion—what does this guy want now? He’d made it clear he wanted nothing to do with Elvin. Couldn’t he take a hint?  

But then the rabbit-eared man snarled, “You’re a reincarnator too?!”  

Si Qi’s confusion deepened.  

Frowning, he stared at the man like he’d lost his mind. The rabbit-eared man, seething, didn’t wait for a response before hissing, “How dare you steal Elvin’s achievements!!”  

Si Qi: ???  

His mind worked quickly. He grasped the implication—in the large snake tribe, the beastmen already had some basic farming knowledge and the beginnings of animal husbandry.  

Perhaps, in the original timeline before the rabbit-eared man’s rebirth, the original Si Qi and the Son of the World (Elvin) hadn’t been separated. The original Si Qi might have shared these farming and breeding techniques, only for them to later be misattributed to Elvin.  

So now, seeing Si Qi present these ideas, the rabbit-eared man had flown into a rage, convinced that Si Qi was also a reincarnator—one who had stolen Elvin’s knowledge and claimed it as his own.

Si Qi almost laughed from anger.

He said to the rabbit man, “I don’t know what you mean by ‘reincarnator’ . These are just things I saw in my previous tribe. I thought they might be helpful, so I shared them.”

The rabbit man looked at Si Qi with a face full of resistance and said, unable to accept it, “Impossible! How could that be! The messenger clearly said back then…”

His round red eyes stared intently at Si Qi, frowning as he questioned, “You’re lying!”

Si Qi couldn’t be bothered to respond to him and said impatiently, “Look at how much salt I have, how many soft blankets I possess—you should be able to guess how wealthy my former tribe was. It’s normal that I know things you don’t, isn’t it?”

The rabbit man opened his mouth to refute but didn’t know how to respond.

More importantly, he suddenly remembered—if Si Qi had been reborn too, there’s no way he would have fallen out with Elvin, who would become the Beast God’s emissary in the future. He would’ve clung tightly to Elvin, just like in his previous life!

In their past lives, even though Si Qi clearly didn’t like Elvin and never treated him kindly, he still made up excuses about how, after forming a bond, they couldn’t be separated, stubbornly staying by Elvin’s side. Wasn’t that a deliberate threat under the name of the Beast God?

If Si Qi really had been reborn, how could he have split from Elvin, even going so far as to hit him? There was no way he was reborn!

Thinking of this, the rabbit man’s long ears drooped. He lowered his head and muttered in disbelief, “Was it you who helped everyone in the previous life too… how could this be…”

Si Qi reminded him, “Why do you think Elvin would know all that? He’s like the other beastmen in the tribe—he’s never left. How could he possibly know so many things that not even the Grand Shaman is aware of?”

The rabbit man suddenly lifted his head, his face full of confusion and shock. “That—!”

Yes… why would Elvin know?

He carefully recalled the scene back then, racking his brain to remember. Finally, the memory returned.

Back then, Elvin had stood confidently before the Grand Shaman, swearing that it was the Beast God who had guided him in a dream, telling him how to help the tribe become stronger. He said he saw golden rice growing from the land, herds of prey penned up in houses for the beastmen to freely enjoy…

The scene had been so vivid, and his worship of Elvin so intense—now, the rabbit man was just as shaken. He looked at Si Qi with a complex expression, glancing several times before reluctantly withdrawing his hostile gaze and muttering, “Even if that’s true, it still doesn’t mean…”

Seeing that the rabbit man was no longer pestering him and only mumbling to himself, Si Qi turned and eagerly headed toward the Son of the World, glanced a few times, and then looked away.

Xiu Xiu was confused: [He already knows the Son of the World is lying, so why is he still getting close to him?]

Si Qi responded lazily: [So what if he’s helping the tribe improve? In his eyes, nothing is more important than being the Beast God’s emissary.]

Although Si Qi couldn’t directly witness from the original owner’s memories how prestigious the Beast God’s emissary was, the rabbit man’s anxious reaction made it clear—on this continent, the position of the Beast God’s emissary was held in the highest regard.

To put it bluntly, Si Qi didn’t even care about the Beast God—why would he possibly care about a mere Beast God’s emissary?

So he didn’t take the rabbit man’s petty scheming seriously at all. Instead of bothering with him, it was better to focus on when the seeds in the ground would sprout, and when the beastmen could live without worry, eating their fill every day.

Xiu Xiu sensed Si Qi’s emotional fluctuations and said to him: [Master, you’re so kind.]

Si Qi was a little confused by the comment: [What brought this on?]

Xiu Xiu: [Xiu Xiu thinks Master treats the people around him very well… and treats Xiu Xiu very well too.]

Si Qi couldn’t help but laugh: [Isn’t it only natural for me to treat you well?]

—You’re kind to me too.

Xiu Xiu shook its head: [But every time Master arrives in a new world, you always try everything you can to help the people there, so they can live happier lives.]

Yet Si Qi never had to go to such lengths. He wasn’t even a being from those worlds—when he looked at them, it was no different than how a human might view puppies, kittens, or ants. They weren’t the same species.

But Si Qi always thought of ways to help advance their civilization, to correct irrational and unjust systems, to stop wars, to end the roots of chaos and fear… Sometimes he even had to endure unfair treatment, slander, or coercion from those very people.

Si Qi had never once spoken ill of those worlds. Instead, he used his intelligence and strength time and again to silence the opposition and help the people of those worlds grow and progress.

He always seemed to be giving, never expecting anything in return.

And now, it was the same. Si Qi had come to this primitive, crude, and utterly unenjoyable world, and all he thought about was teaching the beastmen to farm, raise livestock—and eventually, it was easy to imagine, to build houses, produce ceramics, learn to read, and begin early education…

Didn’t Si Qi ever feel tired? Didn’t he ever think all of this was unnecessary?

He could have just dealt with the Son of the World and left, heading to some high-tech, comfortable world to enjoy his life—instead of staying in a place where they didn’t even have shoes, eating food without seasoning, sleeping in houses without air conditioning.

Xiu Xiu felt sorry for its master and couldn’t understand it.

Si Qi also didn’t understand why Xiu Xiu would even ask such a question, replying in confusion: [Helping them… isn’t that just the right thing to do?]

Xiu Xiu: [How could it be?]

Si Qi was stunned.

Only at that moment did he realize—he had never really thought about that question before.

It wasn’t until Xiu Xiu brought it up that he remembered.

—Yeah. Why was that?

After seriously thinking for a long while, Si Qi slowly said: [Well… I guess it’s because I like it.]

Xiu Xiu was puzzled:[Like it? Like what?]

Like saving the world? Like making others’ lives better?

Si Qi smiled, and that smile was especially pure. [Yes, I like it. I like seeing everyone’s happy faces. If they’re happy, then I’m happy too.]

He looked from afar at the joyful expressions of the beastmen. Every smiling face filled his heart with contentment and an indescribable joy.

Then, he withdrew his gaze and looked at the little golden dragon in the consciousness space, smiling as he said:[Besides… you see, if the civilization of a small world progresses, the world’s energy will grow significantly. Chu Feng will gain more power, and I’ll also receive a large amount of world energy in return. Isn’t that a win-win situation?]

Xiu Xiu looked at Si Qi, half understanding, still not completely convinced.

Even though Si Qi always mentioned how many benefits there were, in reality, no matter how much world energy he obtained, Xiu Xiu had never seen him particularly excited about it. In fact, the amount of world energy he spent on Xiu Xiu—buying snacks and toys—was probably more than he ever used on himself.

Sometimes, Xiu Xiu felt Si Qi was far too selfless, like he didn’t desire anything. Even the world energy that other quick-travelers coveted seemed just ordinary in his eyes—whether he earned a lot or a little was merely a matter of numbers.

Hmm… but since Si Qi said he liked this kind of life, then Xiu Xiu had no reason to object. Whether it was a high-tech world where Xiu Xiu could freely roam the internet, or a primitive world where his power was nearly nonexistent—as long as Si Qi liked it, then Xiu Xiu liked it too!

But even so, Xiu Xiu still quietly offered a suggestion:[Master, you’ve stored so many things in the World Tree’s leaves, and a lot of them don’t even need to be charged to use. You could take some out, you know!]

Last night while Si Qi was cultivating, Xiu Xiu had watched helplessly as several clueless mosquitoes buzzed around him, even trying to bite his master’s flawless face—it made Xiu Xiu furious!

He had practically wanted to burst out of the consciousness space and smack those mosquitoes straight into the afterlife…

Si Qi, amused and exasperated, replied: [And what if the beastmen see them? How would I explain? Tell them all the appliances are oddly shaped stones?]

Xiu Xiu muttered: [I think those beastmen are even dumber than me. If Master says they’re stones, they’ll definitely believe it. And if that doesn’t work, just say they’re treasures granted by the Beast God!]

Those beastmen wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between high-tech devices and magical fire anyway. To them, it would all be incomprehensible.

Si Qi formed a hand in the consciousness space and rubbed the little golden dragon’s head. [I know you care about me.]

Xiu Xiu grinned foolishly, nuzzling against Si Qi’s palm, completely content.

As Xiu Xiu had predicted, not long after Si Qi passed on his methods of farming and breeding, he began to ponder something new again.

Chu Feng looked curiously at the wooden stick in Si Qi’s hand: “What’s this?”

Si Qi used a small knife to carve the wood into a suitable shape, tightened both ends with treated, resilient animal tendons, pulled it taut into a curved crescent shape, and handed it to Chu Feng to look at.

“This is a ‘bow’.”

It was the first time Chu Feng had heard the term: “Bow?”

He turned the bow over and examined it from both sides, unable to figure out its purpose. He guessed, “Is this also for farming?”

Previously, when Si Qi saw the beastmen turning soil with just their hands or claws, he had been both amused and exasperated. So he made a batch of farming tools for them. The work efficiency visibly increased several times, and the group of beastmen were so delighted they performed a bizarre little dance on the spot, which made Xiu Xiu complain nonstop.

Because of this, everyone gradually got used to the fact that Si Qi could always come up with all kinds of ideas that no other beastman could imagine. Every time they saw him, their eyes would sparkle. The way they looked at him even surpassed how they looked at the Grand Shaman — their genuine affection was practically written all over their faces.

So no matter what Si Qi was doing or brought out, everyone instinctively assumed it must be something incredibly useful. Even though the so-called bow in front of them looked like nothing more than a stick with a string, Chu Feng still accepted it with great care.

“This isn’t for farming.” Si Qi took out an arrow he had prepared earlier from behind his back, reached out to take the bow from Chu Feng, and skillfully placed the arrow and drew the bow. His eyes locked onto a bird innocently flying across the sky.

There was only the sound of a swift whoosh as something flashed by — Chu Feng hadn’t even realized the slender stick had flown out. When he turned his head to try and follow its trajectory, he saw it had pierced straight through a bird’s neck, knocking it out of the sky.

Amazed, Chu Feng ran over and picked up the little wooden stick and the bird. He examined the wound on the bird’s body and marveled at the powerful force of the shot. He couldn’t understand how something so light and slender could fly that fast and deliver such a devastating blow.

He wasn’t slow-witted. He quickly grasped the function of the “bow,” and his tone was filled with admiration: “This weapon is amazing — just like the stone spear, it can shoot and hit enemies from afar.”

The “stone spear” Chu Feng referred to was the kind of long red-tasseled spear commonly seen in ancient times, with a spearhead made of stone.

“But those can usually only be used once. Whether they hit or not, once thrown, you still have to rush in and keep fighting…” Chu Feng glanced at the seven or eight arrows laid out behind Si Qi and immediately understood the difference between the two weapons. He exclaimed excitedly, “From now on, even if we encounter tricky prey, we won’t have to charge in close — we can kill it from a distance!”

Si Qi nodded in agreement.

The beastmen of this world had very high combat power. Si Qi felt that instead of painstakingly teaching them human-style combat techniques, it was better to let them naturally transform into their beast forms — the biting and brawling were far more lethal that way.

Therefore, he took a different approach and set his sights on weapons that wouldn’t interfere with beast-form combat. Whether beastmen or sub-beastmen, they all possessed great strength and sharp eyesight — enough to draw very heavy bows and accurately lock onto enemies from far away.

If they could master a method to defeat enemies from a distance, it would be like a civilization with air supremacy bullying one that can only fight on land — an easy and overwhelming advantage.

Even more crucially, this kind of weapon could be used by anyone, regardless of gender or age. Whether a sub-beastman, an elderly beastman, or a not-yet-grown little beastman, all could use it with ease.

It could truly be called a nation of soldiers.

Si Qi said, “The method for making bows and arrows is very simple. Later, find a few sub-beastmen with nimble hands to come learn from me. With two days of practice, they’ll be able to master it.”

Chu Feng’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Si Qi, nodding repeatedly and agreeing enthusiastically.

The beastmen in the tribe were very obedient. Sometimes, even when they didn’t understand — even when they had no idea why something was being done — as long as the Grand Shaman said so, they would dutifully follow instructions.

After Si Qi had shown just a glimpse of his intellect, both the beastmen and sub-beastmen came to completely trust him. Whatever Si Qi wanted to direct them to do, it was incredibly easy — plenty of people were eager to listen.

The only downside, perhaps, was that they were a bit “slow,” so explanations had to be given with the same patience as teaching a child.

But that was still manageable.

Chu Feng placed the bow aside and glanced up at the sun overhead. Confirming that it was already midday — time for a meal — he stole a few glances at Si Qi, cleared his throat, and tried to sound casual as he said, “That meat I gave you last time, did you finish it? You’ve been busy with tribal matters lately… probably haven’t had time to go hunting, right?”

Having lived with Chu Feng for so many years, Si Qi could tell what his lover was thinking with just a twitch of his eyebrow. Internally amused, he maintained a straight face and said, “Yeah, I did. Why?”

Completely unaware that Si Qi was teasing him on purpose, Chu Feng took the bait without a second thought, and said honestly, ears turning slightly red, “Ahem… I just… accidentally cooked too much meat… can’t finish it all…”

Such a big, full-grown beastman — one who could eat half a cow in one sitting — how could he possibly have too much food he couldn’t finish?

Si Qi deliberately gave Chu Feng a few long looks without saying a word. The silence stretched so long that Chu Feng’s face nearly turned red from holding it in. Just as his eyes began to drift, ready to come up with an excuse like “but maybe if I try hard, I can finish it” Si Qi said slowly, “I see… what a waste it would be to let it go uneaten…”

His beautiful eyes locked onto Chu Feng, full of innocent curiosity: “Then why not give the extra food to a sub-beastman you like?”

Being stared at like that by Si Qi, Chu Feng’s whole body tensed up. He stammered, “I—I don’t—don’t have any sub-beastman I like…”

Though… there was a certain beastman he liked a lot…

“Oh…” Si Qi nodded and said, “Same here.”

The hand Chu Feng had placed by his leg tightened slightly — that expression clearly showed a hint of happiness, though he pretended to be especially calm as he said to Si Qi, “Is that so? I’ve noticed that a lot of sub-beastmen in the tribe seem to really like you.”

Si Qi sighed dramatically, feigning regret: “Can’t help it — it’s just that I happen to like beastmen more.”

Chu Feng got even more excited, forcefully suppressing his expression, the corners of his mouth rising and tightening alternately. He said to Si Qi, “If you like beastmen, then you should go for the most outstanding one — only someone like that would be worthy of you. I mean, at the very least, his strength shouldn’t be any worse than Elvin’s!”

Si Qi nearly burst out laughing.

In this tribe, aside from himself and Chu Feng, who else could possibly be more outstanding than Elvin?

Chu Feng, earnestly trying to be a little cunning, looked so adorably awkward that Si Qi couldn’t help but think — if he were to say right now, “Then how about I choose you?” Chu Feng would probably melt on the spot.

He looked at Chu Feng with a half-smile, watching as the beastman — guilty from his little scheme — blushed furiously, nearly ready to dig a hole to crawl into.

Until Si Qi said, “Mm, I’ll find a beastman even more outstanding than Elvin.”

Chu Feng widened his eyes and stared at Si Qi, his face practically shouting That’s me! It has to be me!, staring at Si Qi with hopeful, eager eyes like a big, gentle, obedient cat — no matter how you looked at it, he was completely lovable.

Si Qi held back his laughter until his stomach hurt, deliberately watching him in silence.

Chu Feng waited a long time, but no follow-up came. He felt a bit disappointed.

He thought, Si Qi was so smart, how could he not realize that the only one in the tribe who fits his ideal type was him? How should he hint at it more clearly so he understood?

He sneaked a few more glances at Si Qi, sighed inwardly at how long and hard the road to love was, and steeled himself to try harder. Forget being shy or reserved — he said to Si Qi, “Then I’ll go bring the food over. Let’s eat together!”

Si Qi put on a righteous, proper expression, his gaze clear, his tone gentle, and smiled faintly: “Sure.”

Just like that, Chu Feng happily let himself be played around by Si Qi, tail practically wagging, and trotted off to bring the meat stew he had specially prepared to eat with Si Qi.

On the way, he deliberately passed by a few sub-beastmen who had once tried to bring food to Si Qi, and pretended it was a coincidence as he proactively said, “Have you eaten yet? I’m just going to eat. With whom? With Si Qi! Si Qi said he wanted to eat with me!”

He said it so smugly that the sub-beastmen all looked envious. Tail swaying proudly, he arrived in front of Si Qi’s little house with an expression of pure and earnest joy.

Si Qi watched Chu Feng like this, smiling softly in his heart.

As he watched, he couldn’t help but recall the original owner’s previous life.

Before, the original owner had been about to form a bond with the Child of the World. Their relationship, by all appearances, should have been good. The Child of the World hunted food outside, while the original host cooked it each day and served it to him — the two of them eating together in harmony.

At first glance, it seemed like there was nothing wrong.

But when compared with the dynamic between Chu Feng and Si Qi, certain things became very obvious.

Every time Chu Feng brought food, he was extremely cautious, and when it was accepted, he would be overjoyed. Even when he couldn’t deliver food often, he would still rack his brain trying to find things he thought were good to give to Si Qi.

Sometimes it was a wildflower blooming by the roadside, sometimes it was something he found particularly interesting, and sometimes it was a cloud in the sky that he felt looked especially like Si Qi. No matter how small or insignificant the thing might be, as long as he found it precious, he wanted to give it all to Si Qi, to share it with him.

But Elvin never did anything like that. He would simply toss the meat to the original owner, then sit back and wait, fully expecting the original owner to cook and serve it to him. Even though he was clearly the one taking advantage, he would still speak with conviction, claiming he was the one taking care of the original owner and that the original owner should be grateful to him. So aside from the initial act of saving his life and occasionally hunting meat, he never did anything else for the original owner.

That was the difference between someone who cared and someone who didn’t.

Whether one was truly cherished could be seen in the smallest details.

Si Qi looked at the person he had feelings for, watching as the other stole cautious glances at him while eating. His heart was full of joy.

He liked this feeling of falling in love with Chu Feng again and again, especially seeing the completely amnesiac Chu Feng liking him so much, getting attracted to him with just the slightest tease. It made Si Qi deeply aware, time and again, of just how much the other loved him — loved him so much that even after switching worlds and forgetting everything, that instinctive love remained carved into his soul.

He thought about the results of his cultivation over the past period, and also about how Chu Feng had been busy hunting more prey for breeding, requiring him to frequently enter the forest and face battles, possibly getting hurt. So he said to Chu Feng, “Can you go get me a cup of water? I’d like a drink.”

Chu Feng nodded without hesitation and said okay, putting down his half-eaten bowl and running off to fetch the water.

Once Chu Feng was out of sight, Si Qi drew a line across the pad of his index finger. A bead of bright red blood appeared, and he let a few drops fall into Chu Feng’s bowl.

After dripping three or four drops, he withdrew his hand, and with a swipe of his thumb over the wound, it vanished without a trace. Then he picked up his own bowl and resumed eating.

After a while, Chu Feng jogged back and placed the water in front of Si Qi. Si Qi thanked him. Chu Feng didn’t reply, his face smiling with contentment as he sat down and resumed eating.

However, after just one bite, he frowned, casting a puzzled glance at the meat soup in front of him. He looked at Si Qi, then tentatively tasted another small bite, his face immediately changing as he set the bowl down.

“What did you do?”

Si Qi looked up: “Hm?”

Chu Feng’s expression was puzzled, and also a bit displeased: “…I tasted your blood in it.”

Si Qi raised an eyebrow in mild surprise — he hadn’t expected Chu Feng’s sense of taste to be this sharp — and replied calmly, “You must be mistaken. Maybe the meat wasn’t fully cooked.”

But Chu Feng directly put his bowl down, his expression serious, staring intently at Si Qi: “I can tell the difference between animal blood and yours.”

Si Qi looked at Chu Feng in confusion, thinking how could anyone tell that apart? He was probably bluffing.

Then he thought — if beastmen really could taste the difference between animal blood and beastman blood, then how much of a bastard was the Child of the World back then? Knowing full well the person he liked was bleeding for him daily and still pretending not to notice — just to drink more and gain more power. And at the time, the original owner was even injured!

Seeing Si Qi still refusing to admit anything, Chu Feng’s tone grew harsh for the first time, his expression full of discontent as he said: “I know your blood is special. Drinking it can increase strength — but I absolutely don’t want you to hurt yourself like this. Especially not for me!”

If, as a beastman, becoming stronger meant hurting the one he loved and stepping over his wounds to rise in power, then Chu Feng would rather never grow stronger, and stay the way he was for the rest of his life.

What Si Qi did was like stabbing straight into his heart.

Si Qi looked at Chu Feng in surprise, lips pressing together as a twinge of guilt rose in his heart.

He hadn’t thought it through — hadn’t considered how Chu Feng might feel. He was just worried that Chu Feng might get injured from all the battles and thought that instead of letting that happen, a few drops of blood to enhance his strength might be better…

He hadn’t expected Chu Feng to notice.

But then…

How did Chu Feng know what his blood tasted like — and even know that it possessed special powers?

With the Child of the World’s selfish temperament, there was no way he would have shared something so valuable with anyone else.

So then…

Si Qi frowned slightly, thinking back to when the original owner had been injured — and bled.

Only during that time when he was being hunted down… when someone saved him…

A vague sense of dread crept into his heart. Si Qi raised his head, brow furrowed, and said to Chu Feng: “…It was you who saved me back then, wasn’t it? When you rescued me, was I semi-conscious, and afraid you wouldn’t be able to fight them off, so I gave you my blood to drink?!”