Chapter 13: Journey to Sanglin

After breakfast, Ling’er came to report. The three females, carrying several animal skin bags, headed toward the mulberry forest. Half an hour later, Qi Yue felt as if she had stepped into an enchanting woodland. How to describe it? The forest was predominantly mulberry trees—about eighty percent—with a few other species scattered here and there. It was the season when colorful spiders spun their silk. These spiders were quite fascinating—they didn’t weave webs but instead gathered their silk into clusters, which hung from the branches of every mulberry tree like ornaments. It was reminiscent of Christmas lights decorating a tree, though the strands here were somewhat longer. The silk itself came in many colors, each cluster a single hue, and some branches bore two or three such silk bundles.

“Will the colorful spiders attack us if we collect their silk?” Qi Yue asked, having no prior memory of these spiders since she had never visited this place before.

“No, they’re timid creatures. At any noise, they retreat into tree hollows. Besides catching small insects, they mostly feed on mulberries, which is why so many of them have settled in this forest. The silk breaks easily with the slightest touch. Females only use it occasionally for small decorations, so the tribe seldom harvests it. You can gather as much as you like,” Bao Xue’er explained.

“Then let’s start collecting. I like purple, blue, green, red, white, and black. Let’s gather one animal skin bag of each for now,” Qi Yue expressed her preferences.

“That many? Although it’s light, it takes up quite a bit of space. Don’t you think that’s too much?” Ling’er asked curiously. “Can Sister Yue really carry all that?”

Too much? Qi Yue intended to weave clothes and quilts from the spider silk. It was the season of silk production, and she didn’t know if she’d ever encounter such a mulberry forest again after leaving the tribe. Besides, she had grown thoroughly disappointed with this tribe—perhaps she would never return. She planned to spend the next few days here, gathering as much as possible. Chi’er’s spatial capacity was ample, so she could collect and weave slowly. Though she had never seen an ancient loom, she knew how to knit sweaters, and the thickness of this spider silk was akin to the wool yarn of her previous life. She could use bamboo needles to knit or weave it like grass mats, or even crochet it into tablecloths.

“We don’t even know how long we’ll be away once we leave. It’s wise to gather more just in case. Who knows if other tribes nearby have mulberry forests and these colorful spiders,” Qi Yue said, stepping forward with a bag in hand. The silk strands hanging on the clusters broke with a firm pull. The silk bundles were like skeins of yarn from her past life, and the spiders cleverly tucked the tail of the outermost strand among the inner ones. When using it, one simply knitted directly from the hanging thread. It was quite convenient, as long as the silk wasn’t soiled during collection.

Just as Qi Yue touched a silk cluster, a string of words appeared in her mind: “Colorful spider silk, protein fiber. Annual silk production season: April to June.”

Qi Yue was momentarily stunned. What was this? She touched a nearby mulberry tree with her hand. “Mulberry tree, deciduous shrub. Blooms in May, bears fruit in July.”

She glanced at her right hand, then placed her left hand on the tree again—this time, nothing appeared. She switched hands, but still no response. Was this perception only activated on the first contact? Then the earlier description of the mulberry tree reappeared in her mind.

Curious, Qi Yue placed her hand on a mulberry leaf and waited. After a moment passed with no message, she thought of the word “Perception” in her mind, and immediately, a description of the mulberry leaf appeared: “Mulberry leaf, edible surface of the mulberry tree.”

Qi Yue’s eyes brightened. This meant she could find more useful and edible things in this world. Was it the Beast God responding to her thoughts from last night, or a benefit of being a transmigrator? No matter—what mattered was that it worked. She didn’t dwell on it and resumed gathering spider silk.

After two hours, the three had each filled two large animal skin bags. These bags were twice the size of the hundred-pound rice sacks from her past life.

“Let’s take a break. Qi Yue, how much do you plan to gather in total?” Bao Xue’er sat on a nearby rock and asked.

“If possible, I’d like to gather all of it,” Qi Yue half-joked.

“Qi Yue, are you really going to leave? You’ve lived here for nearly twenty years. Are you truly willing to part?” Bao Xue’er asked. Females reached adulthood at sixteen. Qi Yue had been unconscious for three years, so she was now about nineteen.

“Even if I’m reluctant, there’s no other way. Besides helping Chi’er find his father, do you think Huli’er and Hu Jia would ever let me be? Even if I don’t provoke them, they won’t leave me alone. I don’t have the energy to get entangled with them—I just want to live a simple life,” Qi Yue said. In her past life, she had always been low-key, from a medium-sized northern town. Her father was a primary school teacher, her mother a pastry chef, supporting her and her brother’s education. Their family was harmonious.

“In fact, not all females in the tribe are like them. According to what you said, you only spent two days with Chi’er’s father, and there’s no real attachment. You could still choose a good beastman in the tribe and settle down,” Ling’er said innocently.

“Ling’er, do you really think I can find a suitable beastman in the tribe now?” Qi Yue had lost hope. She wanted to live with Chi’er alone, but she knew that society would not permit such a thing—it was unrealistic.

“Why not? There’s more than just Shide among the outstanding beastmen,” Bao Xue’er asked, puzzled.

“Sister Xue, do you think Shide is outstanding?” Qi Yue looked at Bao Xue’er in surprise.

“If he wasn’t, why would Huli’er fight you for him?” Bao Xue’er thought Shide was one of the tribe’s most formidable males. Both Huli’er and Qi Yue loved him, but Qi Yue’s accident gave Huli’er an opening. It had to be said that Hu Yue had protected Bao Xue’er so well that she remained so innocent.

“Sister Xue, Shide is a superficial man, easily breaks his promises, and lacks responsibility. He’s far inferior to Big Brother Hu Yue. Honestly, I’m a bit glad the accident happened—it helped me see his true nature. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to get rid of him,” Qi Yue said, not wanting Bao Xue’er to misunderstand that she still had feelings for Shide.

Ling’er then recounted the contract termination ceremony from the previous day to Bao Xue’er, though she didn’t mention Qi Yue’s disguised disfigurement.

“I never expected Shide to be such a beastman. In that case, Huli’er really has poor judgment,” Bao Xue’er sighed.

“Exactly. If it were me, I wouldn’t choose anyone like him. He’s a disgrace to beastmen!” Shide’s image in Ling’er’s mind sank to its lowest point, with no hope of recovery.

“Qi Yue, if you find Chi’er’s father, will you bond with him?” Bao Xue’er asked, thinking of the beastman who had never appeared.

“I won’t easily accept another beastman in the future. As for that one, it depends. What happened between us was an accident. Maybe he already had a partner before—I don’t know,” Qi Yue said. She didn’t blame that beastman in her heart; accidents are accidents. As for his disappearance without explanation, there might be other reasons. She would ask when the time came but wouldn’t take it to heart.