Chapter 366

The vanguard had just crossed a small hill when a clear, ringing whistle echoed ahead.

At that familiar, melodious sound, everyone felt as though they might lift off the ground.

It was Hei Yao’s whistle—their clansmen had spotted them.

The warriors lifted their heads toward the distant mountains, at the vague outline of the watchtowers. That was the gateway into the Hei Yao plain. Once they crossed that mountain range, they would be home.

Sure enough, when they reached the mountain’s foot, Lang Jin, Niu Lu, and a few others were standing at the plain’s entrance, bouncing and waving their arms frantically.

As soon as the carts drew near, they hopped up on the sideboards, chattering endlessly.

“Bao Bai-gege, you’re finally back! Bao Yue and the others already went back to the city to report!”

Qi Bai smiled.
“Good, thank you.”

In a blink, these little brats were nearly grown, strong horned beastmen old enough to take patrol duty. Gone were the pitiful, punished-for-brawling boys they once were.

Lang Ze shot them a look.

Lang Jin immediately stood straighter.
“Report to the City Lord—we didn’t abandon our posts. Our captain ordered us to come receive you.”

He couldn’t help smirking afterward. “Receive” them? This was Hei Yao’s army returning home—what need was there to receive them? It was just an excuse to give the lads a break.

Before long, the column passed through the valley between the peaks. The view ahead suddenly opened wide.

Qi Bai’s eyes widened.

The plain before the city had completely transformed.

On either side of the broad, straight road, new stone buildings were rising, and behind them stretched fields newly cleared by beastmen.

From a distance, the houses and fields layered outward in arcs facing the city, like the orbits around a planet.

It was August—the season of the first harvest. Everywhere, beastmen busied themselves with labor: bending low with stone sickles to reap, pushing handcarts loaded with water buckets and food toward the field’s edge, or resting in the shade, wiping sweat from their brows.

At the sound of the carts and marching feet, they all stopped their work and turned to look.

On the midsummer plain, a breeze passed through, swaying the trailing vines.

No matter how many years passed, Qi Bai would always remember this unremarkable sunny day: the breeze that blew away the smoke of war, the indescribable surge of peace and exhilaration in his heart.

Beside the carts, Lang Ze shifted into beast form. Qi Bai leapt lightly onto the white wolf’s nape.

The giant wolf stretched his limbs, running full out across the endless fields.

Qi Bai clutched Lang Ze’s horn, inhaling deeply. Even the air filling his chest seemed incomparably sweet.

Home. They were finally home.

“It’s the City Lord! The City Lord!”

“The Great Jisi-daren and the City Lord are back! Our army is back!”

For a heartbeat, the farmers stared blankly. Then, with a shout, they flung down their tools and ran toward the road, voices ringing out.

“Great Jisi-daren!”

Qi Bai laughed and waved.
“Hei Yao is victorious! We’ve returned!”

“Hou! Hou hou!!”

The fervor spread like wildfire. Every beastman roared with excitement.

Qi Bai spotted many familiar faces among them.

Foremost were the Peng Ye beastmen who had fought alongside them.

Once, their desolate steppe had been scorned as savage and poor. Yet now, after only a few months, they had homes and wagons, sheep and farmland, lives full of food and drink.

The ones who taught them to farm told them it was all created by the Great Jisi himself. How could they not revere and worship Qi Bai wholeheartedly?

Qi Bai’s delight grew when he saw the Gelamu, Zi, and Tuohe clans as well.

Old Tuohe himself ran forward on still-supple legs.
“Great Jisi-daren, we did not fail your guidance—we found Hei Yao!”

Strictly speaking, that wasn’t accurate.

The three clans had marched northeast through snow, only to get lost. If not for Lang Zhan and Hu Qiao’s returning unit, they might have wandered all the way to Peng Ye.

But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that they had found this place, that they had migrated to the dreamlike Hei Yao.

All thanks to their Great Jisi and City Lord.

Qi Bai’s voice was warm with sincerity.
“The specters of the grasslands have been cleared away. That land is ours again—the steppe will always be our home.”

As the giant wolf carried them on, the Tuohe elder covered his face with rough hands, tears streaming.

The prairie they thought lost forever—was still their home. They still had a home.

---

The last crossroads before the city lay between the Zhong Lü and Zhu Ma clans.

The earliest settlers here had all gathered on either side of the road. Their faces showed no trace of worry this time.

Not only because the warriors were positioned on the flanks, greeting them as they passed, but because their hearts no longer wavered. They believed in their city, in their army.

The south gate of Hei Yao stood wide. Yang Luo and the others were already waiting beneath it.

Qi Bai dismounted from Lang Ze and strode forward smiling.

Seeing Qi Bai whole from head to toe, Yang Luo exhaled a long breath of relief.

But before he could speak, Hou Yan blurted,
“According to the blueprints you sent, we divided the Peng Ye beastmen into sixty villages, building their homes behind the Zhong Lü and other clans. They arrived during the busiest spring plowing, so stone buildings rose slowly. Fortunately the weather was fair, and no one froze.”

“You didn’t mention how to settle the Tuohe three clans, so we placed them beside the Peng Ye. Is that acceptable?”

Qi Bai grinned.
“Of course. We saw the villages on the way back. Grandpa Hou Yan, you did wonderfully.”

Though Qi Bai and Lang Ze had drawn up the plans, carrying them out was no small feat.

Hou Yan chuckled.
“You suffered enough outside. If we can spare you worry by handling things here, it’s only right.”

Yang Luo shoved him aside.
“You know they’re exhausted, and here you are rambling! City business can wait.”

Hou Yan hastily nodded.
“You’re right, you’re right.”

He shouldn’t have brought up business now. He just felt relieved and wanted to say something.

Yang Luo’s eyes flicked over Qi Bai. Somehow, everything about him looked thinner—his face, his limbs. Instead of saying so, he grumbled,
“The Beast God City is a rotten place. Don’t ever go again. If they’ve got guts, let them come fight here!”

The other old jisi snarled,
“Exactly! We’ll never go again!”

This wasn’t hollow bravado. They truly meant it.

Nearly a year had passed since they left last November. Day after day their hearts had been in their throats. When Lang Ji finally returned with news, it was of looming war.

All their awe for Beast God City had been ground away.

What did it matter, Beast God City? Unless the Beast God personally appeared before them, they wouldn’t believe.

And if He did, they would question Him closely—why choose those people?

Qi Bai nodded vigorously.
“Mm, mm. We won’t go.”

As for them attacking? Impossible.

On the known continent, nothing remained that could threaten Hei Yao. Their infamy likely spread everywhere. Who would be foolish enough to march against them now?

---

The column drew near. Not just soldiers, but villagers had followed hours to greet them.

The carts rolled through the south gate.

Ma Ling announced proudly,
“These are the spoils of our campaign.”

Qi Bai thought: once the old jisi saw this, their anger might ease.

At first, they scoffed at the few carts. Thirty thousand warriors, and only this?

But when the soldiers opened the carts to reveal heaps of bird-bones inside, the elders’ beards nearly flew off.

Lu Jian and Wu Rao threw down their staffs and dove straight in.

Not too few—more than enough!

Any one of these bones could trade for a wagon of meat. These weren’t mere spoils—they were mountains of gold!

Yun Zhang’s voice shook.
“Yang Luo-jisi, didn’t you just say to hold a feast? Let’s bring them in at once and start!”

Most important was to stash the treasures quickly. He couldn’t relax while they sat here in the open.

Yang Luo almost agreed—but spotted Tun Quan frowning behind the carts.
“What? You don’t want a feast?”

Caught, Tun Quan glanced at his mate Ma Mu, flushed from farmwork with their child on her back. He blurted,
“Jisi, what feast? We’ve work waiting at home.”

His mate was a healer—yet because Tun Quan was away at war, she’d had to labor in the fields under the hot sun. Their child too had suffered, since the city’s nursery was short-staffed.

The other soldiers said nothing, but their looks agreed.

They were the strongest, the biggest laborers in every family. Gone since winter, their households had depended on children, elders, and sub-beastmen. Now it was harvest. Who cared for banquets?

Yang Luo couldn’t hold his stern face, and laughed.
“You lot…”

Lang Ze ordered Tu Ya,
“Open the stores. Distribute a month’s rations to every warrior. Let them return home. Rewards will be given at the autumn festival.”

Tu Ya obeyed, leading a unit into the city to fetch food.

Tables were set at the gate. Warriors lined up by unit, stamped handprints, carried away their shares, and turned to join waiting families, beaming as they went.

All hearts aligned.

Nothing mattered more than their kin, their land. With hoes and sickles in hand, they felt secure again.

Zhong Lü-jisi was quick, rushing to rent carts to haul grain home. Other clan chiefs soon scrambled after him, afraid to miss out.

It wasn’t until night that all rations were distributed.

Only then did Qi Bai and Lang Ze return home.

Thanks to workers, the house was spotless despite nearly a year’s vacancy.

Qi Bai dropped his bags at the door, kicked off his shoes, and flopped spread-eagle on the sofa.
“Ahhh, home. Wonderful!”

Lang Ze closed the door and rubbed his head.
“Want a bath?”

Qi Bai tilted his head back against the sofa, nodding quickly.
“Yes, yes.”

Lang Ze went to the kitchen. The cabinets still had dry wood, the cistern fresh water. He lit the fire.

Qi Bai wandered in, propped his face on the counter, and teased without pause.
“Which horned beastman helps his mate boil bathwater? Ah, it’s my mate. No better mate in the world.”

The redder Lang Ze’s ears, the more Qi Bai praised, until Lang Ze strode over, swept him up, and set him on the counter.

“Mmph—” Qi Bai pressed a hand to his chest. “I want a bath!”

“Mhm. I’ll let you bathe.”

…

From kitchen to bedroom, Qi Bai was “bathed” repeatedly. At last he shifted into a snow leopard cub and leapt into a washbasin full of water.

“Meow-ao! Meow-ao!” he protested.

Lang Ze, content, rubbed his fluffy belly.

The clean cub shook himself on the mat, then bounded onto the bed and sprawled on the bamboo mat to dry. When it grew warm beneath, he simply rolled over.

Soon dry, he returned to human form, tumbling around cheerfully until, while Lang Ze stepped out briefly, he fell fast asleep.

Lang Ze returned, chuckling, and lay down to hold him close.

After such long hardship, and yesterday’s exertions, Qi Bai finally slept deeply.

---

When he woke, he sat on the wide windowsill, pushed open the shutters, and sunlight filled the room.

In the yard, workers laughed as they worked. The leisurely mood made Qi Bai smile wide.

Seeing Su Yu and Su Jian carrying baskets of vegetables, he stretched, dressed, and washed up.

Lang Ze had left for duties.

By the time Qi Bai reached the kitchen, Su Yu and Su Jian had already laid out food: fresh greens, peppers, soybeans, corn, tofu, flour, fresh meat, even a marrow bone.

Su Jian beamed.
“Great Jisi-daren, Yang Luo just slaughtered cattle. This meat is still steaming. The tofu and flour came from Ma Liang, just out of the pot.”

Qi Bai rubbed his hands.
“It’s been so long since I’ve had such fresh food. Leave it to me—I’ll cook.”

They grinned. Everyone knew the Great Jisi cooked best.

As they left, Qi Bai stopped them.
“Ah, I nearly forgot—the real matter. Congratulations. You’ve passed your trial. From today, you’re citizens of Hei Yao.”

Su Yu’s face lit, Su Jian hugged him.
“We’re Hei Yao people now!”

Soon, all twenty workers were gathered, rejoicing yet anxious.

Niu Wu blurted,
“Great Jisi, now that we’re Hei Yao beastmen, can we stay here working?”

Qi Bai smiled.
“Of course. The city lord’s mansion is far too large for just us two. I was planning to hire helpers. If you’re willing, stay. The dormitories remain open. If you move out, we’ll add that to your wages.”

“Great!”

“I’ll stay!”

“I’ll stay too!”

Eighteen stayed. Only Su Yu, talented at machinery, and Niu Qiao, gifted in farming, left for posts already promised.

Qi Bai led them to the Household Office for registration. Word spread instantly. Crowds gathered.

Hu Bu shouted,
“That’s my shiniang! First worker citizen of Hei Yao!”

Someone asked who his teacher was. Hu Huo kicked him before he could answer.

But Su Yu heard, and strode forward boldly.
“Hu Huo.”

Hu Huo froze—it was the first time in two years Su Yu had spoken his name.

“Will you be my mate?”

The crowd erupted.

Hu Huo stammered,
“I—I…” staring at his lame leg.

Smiling, Su Yu hung a bone pendant around his neck.
“You’ve accepted my token. That’s yes.”

“Yes!” “Yes!!” the crowd roared.

Mouse Lin tugged Qi Bai’s sleeve, laughing.
“Look, he’s burning red. Let him laugh at me now!”

Qi Bai laughed with him. After years of silent love, the two were finally together.

Hu Bu ran to fetch carts.
“Let’s move Shiniang’s things to Teacher’s house!”

As the crowd followed noisily, Cang Xie sidled to Mouse You.
“Our ancestors forbid Sangquan to marry outsiders.”

Mouse You blinked.
“Then don’t.”

Cang Xie: “…”

“…But maybe the ancestors weren’t right. They forbade leaving the Outer Lands too, and after we did, life improved.”

He coughed.
“So… we should marry outsiders.”

Mouse You: “…?”

What did this have to do with him?

---

For more than a month, Hei Yao bustled. After harvest, they prepared the autumn festival.

The whole city was strung with lanterns—bamboo cages shaped into animals, great lanterns on towers, strings across streets. Shops competed to decorate. Qi Bai even held a contest: the most popular shop won a bird-bone plaque.

On the day, every beastman wore their best, filling the square.

Children pointed.
“Look, the warriors!”

The troops marched out in formation. Parents boasted, children shone with admiration.

Even the priests and Seven Offices came, honored for their support roles.

Qi Bai and Lang Ze stepped onto the dais.

“The victory of Hei Yao belongs to every Hei Yao person!” Lang Ze’s deep voice rang.

Qi Bai raised his staff.
“May Hei Yao bless every loyal, diligent beastman. Let us forge our own glory!”

“HEI YAO! HEI YAO!! HEI YAO!!!”

---

Meanwhile, a thousand li away at Sacred Mountain—

Great Shensi Mu Wei had died. Mu Jia led troops to lock down Beast God City and convened the Twelve Shensi council. He became the first ever Shensi to ascend as Great Shensi—ushering in an era of divine rule.

In the south, Song Wu City, and in the center, Qingchi City, declared independence.

Hei Yao’s name spread across the continent—not as infamy, but as wealth and hope.

Countless tribes migrated north, converging like rivers into the sea.

Hei Yao had become the holy land all longed for.

---

The Hei Yao beastmen knew none of this. They reveled in the festival.

Qi Bai and Lang Ze slipped into the crowd.

There was commotion ahead—a flock of sheep, led by Chuan Chuan, trying to join the festival.

Handlers shooed them back.

Qi Bai and Lang Ze shared a look, then mischievously “stole” Chuan Chuan away.

“Baa! Baa-baa!”

At first it struggled, then seeing them, happily wagged its tail at Qi Bai.

Lang Ze scolded,
“You’re too big to be rubbing against people.”

“Baa-baa!”

“Shhh,” Qi Bai whispered.
“Want to go home and play?”

By “home” he meant their old house on Black Mountain.

“Baa!”

Whether or not it understood, it stomped proudly.

That night, with the gates left open for the festival, they slipped out with the sheep.

They climbed to the familiar terrace.

The old village was overgrown but intact.

They sat at the stone table, sipping apricot wine from bamboo tubes. The stars above and the city’s lights below painted a dreamlike scene.

Chuan Chuan butted at its old bamboo shed, far too small now.

Qi Bai teased,
“Careful, or you’ll collapse it on yourself.”

The sheep scampered back obedient

ly.

Lang Ze regretted bringing it—still so annoying.

Qi Bai patted its head.
“Good boy…”

Then suddenly, he transformed into a snow leopard cub.

Both Lang Ze and Chuan Chuan froze, staring in shock.

Lang Ze: “…”
Qi Bai: “…”

Joy surged in Lang Ze’s eyes.

The cub lifted a paw: Wait—wait a minute!