Chapter 190

The bees hadn’t built their hive inside the apricot grove. After all, the large expanse of apricot trees had few other kinds of flora nearby, and apricot blossoms only bloomed for a short time. The bees would need other nectar sources throughout the rest of the year.

Lang Ze carried Qi Bai on his back as they circled the apricot grove, eventually confirming there were two beehives around the perimeter.

One of them was inside a stone shelter. Just standing at the base of the stone steps and looking up, Qi Bai could see layer upon layer of comb—eight or nine tiers. He was sure there was more inside, but it was pitch dark in there and the bees were densely packed, making it hard to see clearly.

Still, even though that hive was massive, neither Qi Bai nor Lang Ze attempted to touch it today.

First, Qi Bai had underestimated the scale of beehives on the Beastman Continent. The tools they brought wouldn’t be able to hold something that big. Second, these black-and-yellow bees looked seriously aggressive. Being newcomers and just the two of them, they weren’t confident they could handle such a swarm.

Sometimes you have to know when to pick your battles.

So they decided to go after the other hive instead.

This was the hive they had spotted earlier at the treetop—the home of the little bee they had tied a feather to.

The chubby little bee returned home, now a completely different creature than the carefree wanderer it had been outside. It eagerly squeezed its way back into the hive, completely unaware it had led wolves into its den.

Qi Bai wasn’t afraid of insects, though he wouldn’t say he liked them either. But staring at the bees clustered on the comb, he felt no disgust at all.

Hardworking creatures deserved respect—and these bees were putting in real labor. Even their tiny front legs, working nonstop, looked delicate and graceful.

Lang Ze, now in human form, stood beside Qi Bai and examined the distance from them to the hive. He warned, “I’ll go collect the honey. You stay further back—these bees bite. You don’t want to get stung.”

He moved toward the big tree, but Qi Bai quickly grabbed his arm. “You’re just gonna walk over there like that?”

“Oh, right,” Lang Ze glanced at the basket Qi Bai had been carrying. “Hand me the wooden bucket.”

Qi Bai stepped back and placed the basket between them, rummaging through it while explaining, “No way—just going over like that is too dangerous. We need to suit up and go together.”

Qi Bai had packed the basket himself. Lang Ze only knew it had water and food—Qi Bai had given him lunch earlier—but he hadn’t realized just how much stuff Qi Bai had actually brought.

There was a long-sleeved winter hide coat, a big straw hat used for farm work, a small jar of tree oil, and finally, two pairs of gloves.

These were modified winter gloves used for fishing. The fingers were now separated, and while the thick beast-hide stitching made the gloves stiff and not very nimble, they didn’t need dexterity—just the ability to grab things.

Soon, the ground was piled with gear, and the wooden bucket Lang Ze had originally asked for was off to the side, suddenly not so important.

Qi Bai nudged him. “Go gather some fresh branches and wild grass—something that makes a lot of smoke or has a strong smell when burned.”

Lang Ze returned with branches while Qi Bai was gently coaxing a fire to life in his palms.

The branches were tied into a torch shape, tree oil poured in the center, and when lit, the high moisture content in the fresh leaves created thick smoke at the top of the torch.

“We’ve got smoke!” Qi Bai excitedly waved the torch. “Fan the flames with more branches—make it burn stronger.”

Lang Ze, ever patient, made an even larger torch. “What’s this torch for?”

He’d originally thought Qi Bai intended to burn the bees to death, but clearly, there was more to it.

Qi Bai winked. “This is how we collect honey back home—scare the bees off, so we don’t get stung.”

He handed over the hide coat and gloves. “Quick, let’s wrap up tight in case there are any die-hard bees that won’t flee.”

Qi Bai pulled out a piece of hide with just two holes for eyes. That, he decided, would be the only skin left exposed.

But even that wasn’t enough. He placed the hide over Lang Ze’s head and added a straw hat.

The wide-brimmed hat resembled a beekeeper’s mesh hood, except theirs had straw mats hanging instead of netting.

Lang Ze’s lips curled into a smile beneath the hide. His little sub-beastman was busier than the bees, and so full of energy—he couldn’t get enough of it.

Wearing hide coats, gloves, and boots, they sealed all exposed gaps with straw rope.

Just like Qi Bai said—they didn’t know how fierce these bees really were, and didn’t want to find out. The goal was: no stings, no chances.

Once fully suited, Qi Bai grabbed two giant torches. Lang Ze carried the bucket in one hand and a bone knife in the other.

Thus, the two thoroughly wrapped beastmen strode confidently toward the hive.

Inside the hive, the chubby little bee was being scolded by its coworkers: “We’re clean bees! How could you bring feathers and beast hair back into the hive? So gross!”

The little bee looked aggrieved. “I didn’t mean to—I can’t even see past my belly!”

At that moment, thick smoke enveloped the entire hive.

Chaos erupted. “Fire! Run!!”

The branches Lang Ze had found released a strange scent when burned, and the added tree oil made the smoke even harsher.

Qi Bai squinted through the straw curtain, aiming the smoke precisely over the treetop hive with his two torches.

Buzz… buzz… buzz…

Countless bees, each larger than a hornet, burst out of the hive, surrounding them in a dark swarm.

Qi Bai didn’t flinch—he doubled down, swinging the torches harder. Scaring them out wasn’t enough—they needed to fly far away.

Soon, the thick smoke filled the tree canopy, and with it flew hundreds upon hundreds of bees.

“I’m going up!” Lang Ze shouted through the smoke, then scampered up the trunk with his bucket.

From a distance, they’d only seen part of the comb. Now, with the bees driven off, Qi Bai could finally see the full hive.

“Lang Ze! Is there more inside?” he called out nervously from below.

“Yeah,” Lang Ze replied, slicing down the visible comb and revealing more. “There’s a tree hollow here.”

But unlike the outer bees who fled right away, the ones inside the hollow, though dazed by the smoke, didn’t leave. Instead, they huddled together tightly, completely filling the inner cavity.

Still, that didn’t stop Lang Ze from collecting the honey. One massive slab of comb after another was cut down and dropped into the bucket.

The befuddled queen bee spun in place, panicked. This beastman was too sturdy—her soldiers struggled even to find a weak spot to attack.

Qi Bai gulped. “Don’t take it all—leave them two or three pieces!”

Hearing that, Lang Ze regretfully glanced at the remaining comb. Under the watchful eyes of the queen and her bees, he descended the tree with a full bucket.

Thick golden honey oozed from the white wax caps, pooling at the bottom of the bucket into an amber layer in just a few minutes.

Lang Ze guarded the bucket while Qi Bai, still holding both torches, ran back to where they’d left the basket.

Qi Bai ripped off his head covering, sweat dripping down his face and neck, but he didn’t stop.

He dipped his finger into the honey and tasted it. Floral, rich, and silky smooth—nothing like the thin honey he’d had in the past. This was a different species entirely.

Lang Ze was bolder. He sliced off two chunks of honeycomb with his bone knife, handed one to Qi Bai, and shoved the other straight into his mouth.

White wax on the outside, golden honey in the middle—biting into it released a chewy, fragrant sweetness.

Lang Ze savored the flavor—it was just like the honey he’d had as a child.

He licked his teeth. They couldn’t eat it all now—this was too precious. The tribe hadn’t tasted it yet. Even with a full bucket, it wouldn’t last long.

Qi Bai felt the same. He nibbled slowly on his piece, eyes misting as he stared at the golden bucket. “Thank you, Mother Nature. We’ll eat this with gratitude.”

They sealed the bucket with clean hide, padded it with their coats, and Qi Bai strapped the basket on his back. “Let’s go home~!”

News of their honey find caused a stir in the tribe.

Qi Bai cheerfully stood in front of the communal kitchen, while Lang Ze distributed honeycomb to the cubs from behind a bamboo table.

Though technically their private find, Qi Bai wasn’t about to hoard it. He wanted everyone in the tribe to taste honey at least once.

They only had a limited supply, so each cub got a honeycomb chunk about the size of a fingertip. For the adults, Qi Bai ladled out half a jin of honey and diluted it into honey water—still a treat, even if not as rich.

The tribe members held their portions reverently, barely sipping, wanting the sweetness to linger on their tongues.

To the Black Mountain tribe, honey water was even more precious than brown sugar water. Most had never even tasted brown sugar before, and compared to boiled plant syrup, honey just sounded more magical.

Many old beastmen had heard of honey’s value, but today was the first time they’d tasted it.

It wasn’t just hard to find—it was dangerous. Even the smallest bees were the length of two finger joints, and a hive housed thousands.

Only after overhearing old beastmen did Qi Bai realize these bees weren’t harmless. They had a nickname: “man-eating bees.”

Ma Qian clicked his tongue. “We had a gluttonous horned beastman in our tribe once who tried to grab a hive. When we found him, only bones were left.”

Qi Bai shuddered. Lang Ze had nearly climbed that tree unprotected earlier. Thinking back, he felt chills.

Lang Ze patted his back. “Don’t worry. The bees we met today weren’t that kind.”

At that moment, little Xun Yuan stepped up to the bamboo table for his share.

He looked up at Lang Ze, then at his honeycomb, then declared with a deadpan face: “Your face is big.”

Lang Ze, face still swollen, stared blankly at the little guy: “Why don’t you talk this much the rest of the time…”