Chapter 244

By the pavilion, the long street from earlier’s small trading day hadn’t been taken down. A large open space had been cleared in front of it, and at the far end rose a tall stone-brick platform, hastily constructed as a sacrificial altar.

The stone bricks came partly from recent cuts by the Heishan people and laborers, and partly from those obtained from the Yungu Tribe. The vegetation inside the city hadn’t yet been cleared, nor was the ground smoothed, so Yungu’s bricks were unused—until Yun Zhang, one of the priests, decided to lend them out to erect the altar. Neither the Yungu chieftain nor the tribe objected; instead, they felt deeply honored that these bricks would serve in the first ceremony officiated by the High Priest of Heiyao City. It was said that bricks stepped upon by the priests might even be blessed by the Beast God. Just imagining constructing homes with blessed bricks filled everyone with excitement.

Though the ceremony wasn’t until the end of the mating day, at this moment the six- or seven-meter-high circular platform stood—off-limits to everyone except the priests.

All five tribes gathered in the space between the platform and the main street—a square that could hold tens of thousands.

Beastmen from three tribes wandered among the crowd, holding tokens and searching for their desired companions. But nothing stole more attention than the finely dressed sub-beastmen. These visitors from afar showed no signs of fatigue. They had cleaned their faces with river water and adorned themselves with carefully preserved feathers and stones.

Inspired by the Heishan Tribe, they had draped themselves in animal pelts. Though they hadn’t yet mastered sewing, most simply wrapped the hides and bound them with leather cords, finding such arrangements practical. At least in winter, they no longer needed to stay in beast form—they could walk freely as humans.

All in all, despite the scarcity of fresh flowers and leaves in winter, the sub-beastmen of the three tribes were pleased with their attire. Their confidence, however, lasted only briefly. Upon stepping out of their tents and seeing the Heishan sub-beastmen, they were suddenly reminded of life’s unequal beauty.

Who says winter lacks color?

Heishan sub-beastmen circled their heads, necks, and wrists with vividly colored “flowers,” making them the brightest hues in a gray-white world.

It wasn’t just the colors—it was the fashion. Even those who had been part of the trading entourage for days couldn’t help blinking. No longer bound by labor, the sub-beastmen had shed their worn work garments and donned their reserved, well-fitting pelts.

But it didn’t stop there. Mounting the pelts were outer coats made from thick, furry hides—Heishan’s new trend led by Qi Bai. Mismatched colors and lengths, topped with dog-skin hats and gloves protecting ears and heads—Heishan’s sub-beastmen entered the space in style.

Even the workers seemed stunned. Is that really their leader?

Of course, Heishan sub-beastmen didn’t have real flowers yet. Although Qi Bai intended to create greenhouses for off-season plants, they weren’t built yet. Their decorative “flowers” came from colored fur scraps or yarn dyed with plant juices—fake but convincing enough to other tribes.

Sensing the awe-struck gazes, Heishan’s sub-beastmen felt no embarrassment. After all, they were team leaders with dozens under them, or part of the Third Production Team—elite sub-beastmen who had participated in wars or organized trading days. Even the shy few straightened up when they saw their peers’ pride. They weren’t hiding—from their excellence!

Behind the youth, older beastmen arrived with cooking pots and ingredients. They were less concerned about mating; now they took over food stall duties along the long street. Grilled meat, braised dishes, grilled milk curds, fried bread—accustomed to kitchens, these elder beastmen handled food stalls easily.

Quan Lie, Xiang Yu, and Lang Ye also arrived, carrying hot water from the water room to the long street. Anyone thirsty or cold could come and scoop a bowl for a piece of firewood—no charge—just for the festive spirit.

From the Stone Forest came members of the Jufeng Tribe, completing the gathering of all five tribes for the first time.

With Heishan and Jufeng now present, the square's energy soared—especially among the three visiting tribes, many of whom had never seen a mating day like this. Though tokens were fewer this year, they could exchange them for Heishan’s delicious food to give to their desired partners—sure to delight.

For the Heishan cubs, this mating day felt very different from last year. Besides the crush of adults nearly flattening them, the all-you-can-eat buffet was gone. They’d have just one dinner. Food on the long street was far too expensive for cubs who could barely earn work credits. Last year had set too high a bar—they’d been spoiled.

Still, there was plenty to enjoy. Despite living in the same tribe, many beastmen didn’t interact often. Without communal workshops like the kiln, they wouldn’t have bonded so quickly. That’s why an event that gathered everyone—like the mating day—was so important.

But having a time and place wasn’t enough. There needed to be a way to attract mates. Over time, sharing tokens became the common approach, though other tribes had unique customs.

Bao Xing and Li Li, a pair of cubs, were squatting beside Jufeng’s Ai and Wei, watching Battle Bear Tribe’s courting rituals with curiosity.

Nearby, some horned beastmen eagerly competed to see who could do handstands longest—perhaps inspired by pandas, but here it was purely a test of stamina. Whoever lasted the longest was considered strong—an attractive form of showing off.

“Ha!" said Jufeng cub Lu, pointing and laughing.

Bao Xing and Li Li looked and saw a few Battle Bear male beastmen sprawled on the ground—some collapsed from exhaustion, others knocked over by the dismissive laughter of sub-beastwomen.

The cubs found it hilarious. Even usually solemn Ai and Wei couldn’t help giggling.

Seeing their older kin red-faced with annoyance, the Battle Bear beastman Xiong Zhong snorted, “Where are you little tribes from? You can’t even speak our tongue. We’re not going to dignify you with an answer.” Clearly a challenge.

Jufeng’s cub Mo bit his finger, looked at Ai and Wei, then back at Xiong Zhong and his group, shaking his head seriously, “We’re not little—you are.”

In a world where the size of one’s beast form reflected one’s strength, none could tolerate being called small. And when those words came from innocent cubs, they hit harder.

Adding to the insult, the sub-beastwomen had laughed at the cubs—giving them looks that suggested they might be single and interesting. If these lanky cubs got the sub-beastwomen, then the Battle Bear guys might be out of luck.

Xiong Zhong puffed up and thumped his chest. “Battle Bear is strongest beast form! You got the guts to challenge me?”

Bao Xing’s eyes widened. It looked like they’d provoked a fight. He turned to Li Li: “You’re older. You protect Lu and Mo, okay?”

Li Li blinked. She thought: You’re older than me—so you protect me? Sensing things were getting dangerous, Bao Xing dashed towards the pavilion—today morn, the chieftain had told them not to fight with the other tribes’ kids, but didn’t say anything about adults. He needed reinforcements.

The pavilion, with its animal pelts left untouched and charcoal still burning, had become a warm retreat. The leaders and priests of all five tribes sat around the brazier, smiling at the youthful antics outside.

Cloud Tan, sipping flower tea in a bamboo cup, looked disapprovingly at Xiong Han. “Go out and look—our sub-beastmen of five tribes have all arrived. Are none fit for you? You’re of age—why so still unpaired?”

Among their elders, Qi Bai and Lang Ze had become a pair; Lu Yan had already formed a bond with lifelong friend Lu Ming when she came of age last year. Only Xiong Han remained unpaired.

Watching couples paired off and absent from the group, Xiong Han looked lonely. Cloud Tan frowned. With a chieftain as distant as Xiong Han and a nonchalant High Priest, no one was in charge of him.

Xiong Han shrugged. “I have no time for cubs. I need to become stronger.” Pairing up wasn’t as interesting as fighting—he didn’t want to stand on his head in front of sub-beastwomen.

Sigh. Cloud Tan sighed at how Yun Jing and Yun An, also unmarried, used strength as reason for staying single. In their old tribe, singles were always the weakest—why did being strong become an impediment here?

That sigh caught the notice of Wu Rao, who glanced at his just-of-age student Zhi. In that moment, Wu Rao and Cloud Tan shared a deep connection.

In his eyes, Ai and Mo were nice-looking horned beastmen—but if Zhi just said they had nothing to talk about… Wu Rao felt old. He couldn’t understand—what’s wrong with having a companion?

But it wasn’t Zhi's fault—if he had never seen a pair like Qi Bai and Lang Ze, perhaps he’d also have paired randomly and had cubs. But after glimpsing the outside world, his previous ideas seemed wrong. He didn’t want to settle; he, too, wanted to find a companion to mutually protect.

At that moment, Lu Yan and Lu Ming, summoned by Cloud Tan, entered the pavilion behind Bao Xing—both calmly strolling in. Bao Xing, however, burst through, bumping right into Yang Luo, who sat at the door.

Yang Luo coughed at the unexpected impact. “Why so hasty?”

Bao Xing’s cheeks flushed red as he pulled Yang Luo’s sleeve. “Chieftain, Priest—go look quickly! The big bears are about to fight the tall guys!”

Upon hearing this, no one panicked—instead, excitement sparked. Wu Rao’s eyes lit up; he stamped his walking stick and had Zhi help him up. “Looks like some Jufeng are about to fight. Let’s go watch.”

Wu Rao trusted his people’s might and thought Zhi needed to see the strength of those horned beastmen—maybe then he'd change his mind.

Xiong Han dropped the charcoal he’d been examining, clapped his hands, and said excitedly, “Where? Take me there!”

Finally a fight to watch—it wouldn’t be a mating day without some competition.